In October 2026, OLF became a partner of EXITO, a project supporting the adoption of the European electronic freight transport information (eFTI) Regulation. As part of the project, the Open Logistics Foundation will help develop and promote open source components and reusable building blocks to help establish eFTI as a trusted digital backbone for interoperable and scalable business-to-authority (B2A) data exchange across European supply chains.

Learn more about the eFTI Regulation and how companies can prepare for it.

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The EXITO project aims to accelerate the adoption of the European eFTI Regulation and expand digital freight data exchange beyond regulatory compliance. The project develops and tests interoperable digital services and connectivity solutions to enable secure and efficient data exchange between logistics companies, supply chain partners and public authorities.

Key objectives include:

• Developing and testing an eFTI-compliant logistics data space
• Enabling secure, seamless and interoperable data exchange
• Facilitating the participation of SMEs in digital logistics
• Supporting cross-border and multimodal transport
• Integrating sustainability reporting and data sharing

Through real-life demonstrations across several European countries, EXITO aims to make freight and logistics data exchange more connected, efficient and accessible for businesses and public authorities.

Learn more about the Open Logistics Foundation’s involvement in EU-funded projects.

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Though they address different challenges, both projects reflect OLF’s commitment to open and interoperable digitalisation. By working with industry, research and public-sector partners across borders, the Foundation aims to ensure that project outcomes deliver lasting value through software and standards that companies can integrate into existing systems, helping build a more connected European logistics ecosystem.

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The first meeting focused on the challenges and best practices of setting up and operating AI models in hybrid infrastructures, combining cloud and on-premises environments. Ulrich Buhrmann, Director Market Transport & Logistics at iteratec, shared insights and lessons learned with participants. He co-leads the KC AI alongside Jens Leveling, Lead Software Architecht at Fraunhofer IML and Technology Advisor at Open Logistics Foundation.

“The interest was large and the discussions were very practical,” said Ulrich, reflecting on the kick-off. “Two priorities stood out for me: how to build and operate your own infrastructure for LLM models, and which concrete AI use cases create real value in logistics. For the open source/logistics community, KC AI can be a valuable place to share knowledge, accelerate practical adoption, and shape trusted AI solutions for a key industry.”

Beyond knowledge sharing, participants of KC AI aim to translate common challenges and requirements into collaborative open source initiatives. By identifying needs shared across organisations, KC AI can build the foundation for contributions of reusable, collaboratively developed code to the Open Logisitcs Repository. The wider logistics community can then benefit from open solutions that no single organisation needs to develop alone.

Interested to learn more about the Knowledge Circle AI in logistics?

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Meetings take place approximately every two months, combining presentations, lightning talks, deep dives, and open discussions in an informal, practice-oriented format. The format offers an accessible way for OLF members to explore emerging technologies and can be applied to a range of topics, with AI in logistics serving as the starting point. Other topics may be explored in the future within the Knowledge Circle format.

Participation is open to representatives of Open Logistics Foundation member companies interested in shaping the future of AI and open source in logistics. Interested organisations are welcome to get in touch to learn more about joining the Knowledge Circle.

The next meeting is scheduled for 10 December 2026, from 11:00 to 12:00 CET.

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The Ideation Workshop is a starting point for ideas that can develop into new Working Groups and projects, making the event a key part of the OLF’s ideation process.

More than 70 colleagues from member companies took part in the 2025 Workshop. This year’s event will take place on 3 December 2026 at Fraunhofer IML in Dortmund, Germany. Registration is now open.

Join the Open Logistics Foundation community at Ideation Workshop 2026!

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Six topic clusters to guide preparations

Building on the experience of previous workshops, the OLF is introducing topic clusters ahead of this year’s event to help structure day-of discussions. The clusters are based on needs identified by OLF members and the Logistical Steering Committee (LSC).

The clusters are intentionally broad. Rather than prescribing solutions or defining project scopes in advance, they help participants identify common ground and explore where new open source projects and shared standards could create value for the industry.

During and after the Workshop, these new ideas will be considered in the context of the OLF’s Working Groups, ongoing projects, the Knowledge Circle AI in logistics and other relevant initiatives. The goal is then to build on existing work, connect complementary efforts, or initiate new projects.

Participants can use the following six clusters as a starting point for their preparations:

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Exploring common foundations for the easy and interoperable application of AI in logistics, including shared training data, open data models and specialised models for tasks such as estimated time of arrival (ETA) forecasting and route planning.

Cluster Expert: Ulrich Buhrmann, Director Market Transport & Logistics at iteratec

Sustainability

Identifying open approaches that foster transparency and interoperability in sustainability-related processes, such as the digital mapping and standardisation of book-and-claim systems.

Cluster Expert: Kerstin Schubert, Senior Scientist at Fraunhofer IML

Automation and Robotics (Intralogistics)

Developing common interfaces and open standards that facilitate the integration of different automated systems, such as manufacturer-neutral, mixed-fleet transport management systems or the exchange of operational status and event messages.

Cluster Expert: Christian Prasse, Head of Strategic Development at Fraunhofer IML

Road

Addressing shared information and document flows in road freight transport that can be standardised, including digital transport and delivery documents, logistics status updates and the synchronisation of events across shippers, freight forwarders and carriers.

Cluster Expert: Ingo Müller, Department Head Prototyping & Testing at DACHSER

Maritime and Terminals

Improving the digital interconnectivity of ports, terminals, shipping companies and hinterland transport through harmonised data flows and standards for, for example, time slots, arrival information, container movements and transhipment processes.

Cluster Expert: Achim Klukas, Head of Department at Fraunhofer IML

Other

Providing space for cross-cutting topics that affect several areas of logistics, address new subject areas, or otherwise do not fit neatly into the other clusters. Approaches that establish common standards, data models or reference implementations are of particular interest.

Bring your challenges and ideas

The clusters are a starting point, and do not set a predefined agenda. Participants are encouraged to consider challenges from their daily work and where a collaborative open source approach could help. And if there’s anything missing from this cluster list, be sure to let us know!

As a community-driven event, the Ideation Workshop’s value lies in bringing together people with different experiences who share a common interest in advancing the digitalisation and standardisation of logistics through open source. By introducing topic clusters before the event, the OLF aims to make discussions more focused without limiting the scope of what participants can contribute. The next generation of collaborative projects in the Foundation should emerge from the needs of the community itself.

Registration for the 2026 Ideation Workshop is now open. OLF community, you can join us there!

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Interoperability in time slot management

The Open Logistics Foundation is addressing this problem with an open, vendor-neutral interface (API) for time slot management, providing a common basis for the real-time exchange of information between Transport Management Systems (TMS), Time Slot Management Systems (TSM) and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). As with all the Open Logistics Foundation’s outputs, this API is freely available to the entire industry in the OLF Repository.

Transporeon and TradeLink have already implemented the open source API, laying the groundwork for initial testing scenarios. Gerry Daalhuisen, Senior Director Dock & Yard/Fleet Products at Transporeon, and David Bauske, Principal Software Architect at TradeLink, lead the Time Slot Management project within the Open Logistics Foundation’s Working Group Track & Trace.

Two use cases, one goal

An open standard only delivers value if it works in practice and is adopted. The Open Logistics Foundation is therefore looking for organisations to test the API under real-world conditions, contribute their requirements and actively help shape its further development.

The Open Logistics Foundation’s pilot programme is aimed at companies and organisations across the logistics chain that wish to trial standardised exchanges of transport and time slot information. A wide range of configurations is possible, from direct collaboration between two partners, such as a carrier and a Time Slot Management platform, to the cross-company integration of multiple systems across an entire transport and logistics chain.

All organisations involved in time slot management and appointment booking processes are eligible to participate, from shippers and freight forwarders to warehouse and yard operators, as well as TMS, TSM and WMS providers. Participants will gain early insights into how a standardised API can improve the integration of existing systems and logistics partners while reducing the need for individual interfaces. By engaging with the Foundation’s Working Group, including leads and early adopters Transporeon and TradeLink, participants can also explore the API’s potential for their own operational processes. At the same time, they will actively contribute to shaping the underlying technology and help ensure that it meets their requirements.

The path to a pilot project

The Call for Participation will be open for six weeks from 15 October 2026. Interested organisations can apply providing their company name, potential role (e.g., carrier, warehouse operator or TMS provider) and contact details at: technical@openlogisticsfoundation.org.

Once the application period has closed, the Open Logistics Foundation will review submissions together with the members involved in the project and contact suitable pilot partners. The pilot projects are scheduled to start in early 2027. Each pilot is expected to last approximately three months, although the precise timeline will depend on the individual use case and the partners involved.

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Interoperabilität im Zeitfenstermanagement

Die Open Logistics Foundation adressiert dieses Problem mit einer herstellerneutralen offenen Schnittstelle (API) für das Time Slot Management, die eine gemeinsame Grundlage für den Echtzeit-Informationsaustausch zwischen Transport Management Systemen (TMS), Time Slot Management Systemen (TSM) und Warehouse Management Systemen (WMS) schafft. Wie alle Ergebnisse der Open Logistics Foundation steht auch diese API im OLF-Repository der gesamten Branche frei zur Verfügung.

Transporeon und TradeLink haben die Open-Source-API bereits implementiert und legen damit die Basis für erste Testszenarien. Gerry Daalhuisen, Senior Director Dock & Yard/Fleet Products bei Transporeon und David Bauske, Principal Software Architect bei TradeLink leiten das Time-Slot-Management-Projekt der Working Group Track & Trace innerhalb der Open Logistics Foundation.

Zwei Use Cases, ein Ziel

Ein offener Standard schafft nur dann Mehrwert, wenn er in der Praxis funktioniert und gelebt wird. Deshalb sucht die Open Logistics Foundation Organisationen, die die API unter realen Bedingungen testen, ihre Anforderungen einbringen und die Weiterentwicklung aktiv mitgestalten.

Das Pilotprogramm der Open Logistics Foundation richtet sich an Unternehmen und Organisationen entlang der Logistikkette, die einen standardisierten Austausch von Transport- und Zeitfensterinformationen erproben möchten. Dabei sind unterschiedlichste Konstellationen denkbar: von der direkten Zusammenarbeit zwischen zwei Partnern, beispielsweise einem Carrier und einer Time Slot Management Plattform, bis hin zur unternehmensübergreifenden Vernetzung mehrerer Systeme entlang einer vollständigen Transport- und Logistikkette.

Teilnehmen können alle Organisationen, die in Zeitfenstermanagement und Terminbuchungsprozesse eingebunden sind, von Verladern und Spediteuren über Lager- und Yard-Betreiber bis hin zu TMS-, TSM- und WMS-Anbietern. Wer mitmacht, erhält frühzeitig Einblicke, wie eine standardisierte API die Vernetzung bestehender Systeme und Logistikpartner verbessern und den Bedarf an individuellen Schnittstellen reduzieren kann. Im Austausch mit den Working Group Leads der Stiftung und Early Adoptern wie Transporeon und TradeLink können Teilnehmende zudem das Potenzial der API für ihre eigenen operativen Abläufe ausloten. Gleichzeitig gestalten sie die technologische Grundlage aktiv mit und stellen sicher, dass diese ihren Anforderungen gerecht wird.

Der Weg zum Pilotprojekt

Der Call for Participation ist ab dem 15. Oktober 2026 für sechs Wochen geöffnet. Interessierte Organisationen können sich unter Angabe des Firmennamens, potenzieller Rolle (z. B. Carrier, Warehouse Operator, TMS-Anbieter) und Kontaktdaten bewerben unter: technical@openlogisticsfoundation.org

Nach Ablauf der Bewerbungsphase prüft die Open Logistics Foundation gemeinsam mit den am Projekt beteiligten Mitgliedern die Einreichungen und nimmt Kontakt zu geeigneten Pilotpartnern auf. Der Start der Pilotprojekte ist für Anfang 2027 geplant. Jeder Pilot dauert voraussichtlich rund drei Monate, wobei der genaue Zeitplan vom jeweiligen Use Case und den beteiligten Partnern abhängt.

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Under the new requirements, the DeCA must be created and made available digitally. Documents must be generated as digital PDFs, linked to a unique URL and accessible through a QR code. The document must be available to the parties involved in the transport and can be retrieved by transport authorities during inspections. The framework also clarifies the role of electronic signatures and how DeCA relates to other digital transport documents.

Watch Spotlight Session: Prepare for Spain’s digital DCA

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Disclaimer: This session was filmed before the DeCA requirement revision. Some information may be outdated.

The DeCA requirements have evolved significantly since the framework was first drafted. Earlier versions included requirements that created practical challenges and raised questions for companies established elsewhere in the EU. In particular, carriers had to register with the Spanish authorities using a Spanish digital identity. As this is only available for Spanish companies, the previous requirement conflicted with the EU eIDAS regulation.

The logistics industry raised these concerns and, following feedback from the Open Logistics Foundation and other industry organisations, Spanish authorities revised and clarified several aspects of the requirements. The changes illustrate a broader challenge in the digitalisation of freight transport: regulations need to provide a clear legal framework while also taking into account how digital documentation works in real-world cross-border operations.

The revised DeCA framework also provides greater clarity on the relationship between DeCA and existing electronic transport documents. The rules confirm that other transport documents and software, including eCMR, can be used to fulfil the DeCA requirement without the earlier registration process and where they contain the information required under Spanish law. This is relevant for companies that are already using electronic transport documentation. Rather than treating every national requirement as a completely separate digital process, interoperable components can provide a common foundation that can be adapted to different regulatory contexts.

This is one of the principles behind the OLF-eCMR Toolbox. The Toolbox provides open source components for electronic transport documentation that can be integrated into existing IT environments and adapted to national requirements. The aim is not to create a separate system for every market, but to provide reusable building blocks that support different use cases and regulatory requirements.

The Spanish development also sits within a broader European move towards digital freight information. The eFTI Regulation (EU 2020/1056) establishes a legal European framework for the exchange of data between authorities and companies, eliminating the use of paper for this control. At the same time, individual countries can continue to introduce national requirements and approaches, as Spain has done with DeCA.

The DeCA framework already anticipates this relationship: once the eFTI framework applies, transport information provided through eFTI can be used instead of a separate DeCA. This underlines the importance of digital systems that can accommodate both national requirements and emerging European frameworks.

Questions about DeCA and eCMR?

The introduction of mandatory DeCA is another step in the digitalisation of road freight transport in Europe. As companies adapt to the new requirements, questions will naturally arise around implementation, interoperability and the relationship between DeCA, eCMR and eFTI.

The Open Logistics Foundation is happy to help clarify these relationships and explain how the open source OLF-eCMR Toolbox can be used in the context of Spain’s DeCA requirements.

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Standardised terminology for transport events

It is precisely for this reason that the Open Logistics Foundation’s Working Group Track & Trace has developed a common event model. The aim of the approximately 30 companies represented in the Working Group was to create a standardised language for transport events that works independently of companies, countries and the IT systems used. The result is 14 clearly defined transport events that map both typical processes and deviations from the standard process.

The unique approach taken by the companies that developed the model is that it is not the underlying, existing processes that are standardised, but “only” the meaning of the information exchanged. This means that whilst drivers, dispatchers and customers can continue to work with the terms and tools they are familiar with, standardisation takes place in the background.

Rhenus has now gained its first practical experience with the model in a joint pilot project with the technology company Zekju. Zekju, also a member of the Open Logistics Foundation, supports shippers, freight forwarders and drivers with digital transport communication, relying on established messaging services rather than additional driver apps. During the project, it quickly became apparent that differing status terms can also lead to additional coordination efforts in this context. It was therefore decided to use the Open Logistics Foundation’s Tracking Event Model as a common basis.

Learn more about the Tracking Event Model project.

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Pilot project in direct freight transport

Rhenus launched the pilot project within its direct freight transport service, in which shipments are transported directly from the sender to the recipient without any transhipment. The pilot initially began in Poland and was subsequently extended to the Czech Republic. Rhenus handles the local dispatch, customer communication, shipment tracking, and invoicing. Transport is then carried out either using Rhenus’s own vehicles or via a network of hauliers and subcontractors. As Rhenus, in its role as a logistics service provider, needs to consolidate information from many sources, the issue of status updates is of particular interest to the company.

The technical integration proved to be relatively straightforward. The Tracking Event Model was integrated into the existing system environments, enabling unambiguous assignment of incoming and outgoing status messages to the defined events. Operational processes remained unchanged.

In total, several hundred shipments were modelled using this approach. Experience has shown that clearly defining events simplifies collaboration. When “arrival”, “departure” or “delivery” have the same meaning for all parties involved, there is less room for interpretation. This reduces the need for clarification, and new integrations can be implemented in a more structured manner.

For operational staff, very little changed. Drivers continued to report the same incidents as before. The actual standardisation took place at system level. There, different terms are mapped onto standardised events. It is precisely this invisible nature that is one of the model’s strengths. The standard comes into play where complexity arises, without unnecessarily altering existing processes.

As a result, the Tracking Event model provides Rhenus a sound basis for data exchange with customers or IT service providers, even outside traditional partner organisations. Discussions are currently underway to integrate the standard into the Rhenus Customer API. This is because the model essentially enables faster integration for both parties. The clear definition of the “shipment journey” enables significantly faster data connection. Where in the past, several lengthy meetings were sometimes required to develop a shared understanding of a status with partners and customers, this can now be clarified in a single, brief meeting.

Open standards make collaboration easier

Open standards are often perceived primarily as a technical issue. However, they are first and foremost about collaboration. The more companies that use the same event definitions, the easier it becomes to exchange data and integrate systems throughout the entire transport chain.

The real-world test has shown that a common event model not only works in theory, but can also be used under real operating conditions. Its benefits do not stem from additional functions or new user interfaces. The benefits arise when different systems speak the same language.

The best standards are often those that go largely unnoticed in everyday life. That is precisely where their strength lies. They lay the foundations for all stakeholders in the logistics sector to make collaboration simpler and more scalable.

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Simultaneously, the Open Logistics Foundation welcomed EOSA as our newest Network Partner – a programme that now includes 13 organisations across seven countries.

The strategic partnership was announced during Open Source Innovation Days 2026 by Timo Väliharju (President, APELL) and Carina Tüllmann (CCO & Managing Director, Open Logistics Foundation).

Read our recap of Open Source Innovation Days 2026.

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EOSA, established to recognise and unite individuals and organisations committed to advancing open source software and hardware in Europe, serves as a platform for thought leadership, policy engagement, and community development. Alongside elevating the voices of open source community and fostering knowledge exchange opportunities, the Academy hosts the Annual European Open Source Awards, a celebration of leading experts and contributors to European open source, with nominations opening on 01 September 2026.

Through its Partner Community, organisations contribute to and support Academy’s activities on an ongoing basis, across its four strategic goals:

• Excellence and achievement
• Business and impact
• Advocacy and awareness
• Skills and education

The Partner Community is organised into two groups: Subscribers and Knowledge Partners. The Open Logistics Foundation has joined as a Founding Knowledge Partner. Knowledge Partners are academic, non-profit, public-interest, and civil society organisations that support the Academy’s activities while gaining valuable engagement opportunities with Europe’s leading open source community.

This mutual partnership is built on a common belief that collaboration across foundations, academia, public institutions, and industry is essential to strengthening Europe’s open source ecosystem. It also strengthens our efforts to promote the societal and economic value of open technologies. By working together, we can foster knowledge exchange, support education and skills development, and promote collaborative open source solutions that make industries more resilient and sustainable.

By joining the EOSA Partner Community as a Founding Knowledge Partner and welcoming EOSA as an Open Logistics Foundation Network Partner, we are strengthening our shared commitment to advancing Europe’s open source software and hardware ecosystem.

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