Omniva, the international technology and logistics group, has opened its first MicroHUB in Tallinn, a pilot the company hopes will reduce the number of van journeys made in the city.
The hub is a specially adapted container equipped with security systems and sited within a courier's delivery area. Rather than making a lengthy round trip back to a sorting centre to reload, couriers can pick up additional parcels during their rounds. Omniva expects this to save couriers time and help parcels reach customers faster while supporting greener urban logistics.
Because couriers no longer need to return to a sorting centre mid-round, the model allows Omniva to use more cargo bikes instead of vans for parcel deliveries, a shift aimed at keeping van traffic off city streets.
The company expects the first results within a month, and those findings will help determine the next steps. In the next phase, Omniva plans to test parcel collection from the MicroHUB with Crowd Delivery couriers.
Expansion plans rest on pilot results
If the pilot is successful, Omniva plans to introduce more MicroHUBs in Tallinn and to apply a similar solution in Riga, Vilnius and Kaunas. The company presents the concept as a way to handle growing parcel volumes without adding more vans to city streets.
Hannes Falten, head of delivery innovation at Omniva, said initial estimates suggest a MicroHUB could save each courier up to three hours a day and allow them to serve around 20 additional customers. He described the project as an opportunity to handle growing parcel volumes while reducing the environmental footprint of deliveries.
Falten also highlighted a creative side to the first site: its exterior was painted by street artist S-Boy's team to bring more colour and character to the neighbourhood and give passers-by something worth stopping to look at.
The month-long trial will show whether the estimated time savings and the greater use of cargo bikes hold up in daily operations before Omniva commits to a wider rollout in Tallinn and, potentially, in other cities.