We’re very excited to be part of the 2021 Transport Research Innovation Grants (TRIG) Programme, in partnership with Connected Places Catapult and the UK Department for Transport!
Our project is part of the Future of Freight call, and is focused on developing tech infrastructure for a cargo bike logistics transition in the last mile of urban freight.
With the support from TRIG, we will be developing our first product to assist logistics operators in cities in their fleet transitions.
You can read the Catapult announcement here.
Our project 🎈
At Kale, our current focus is on accelerating the transition to cycle logistics.
Cargo bikes are a multi-solution, with the potential to tackle a number of problems caused by the thousands of delivery vans used for delivery in cities (e.g. congestion, air pollution, road safety and CO2 emissions).
The situation is only projected to worsen, as the number of parcels delivered in London is expected to double by 2030.
On top of their performance benefits, when used optimally, cargo bike logistics is the lowest CO2 solution for urban freight and a rapid shift could significantly accelerate the decarbonisation of urban freight.
One of the hurdles in the adoption of cycle-logistics is the absence of widely spread knowledge and information about how to effectively deploy fleets, as they differ significantly from traditional depot+van based operations.
Operators are faced with a double layer of uncertainty: how to optimally restructure their operations and whether the investment is worth it. Our platform aims to resolve both these questions, and will directly help operators realise the potential of e-cargo bike logistics by translating information into action.
About the fund
TRIG is aimed at “entrepreneurs and academics on the front line of innovation to develop new technologies, products and services that will enhance the way we travel”.
This year saw the most applicants ever, so we’re delighted to have been selected.
The aim of grant is to bring projects from Technical Readiness Level 2 to Level 4 (basically, from research to MVP).
If you’re a business interested in the potential of cargo-bike logistics, we’d love to chat!
You can contact us at: contact@kalecollective.co.uk 🥬