Designed as a comprehensive strategic blueprint, this framework outlines actionable methods to bridge the digital gap separating peripheral transport networks from main Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) nodes. It provides regional transport authorities, ministry planners, port managers, and European logistics associations with a practical roadmap to modernize regional freight flows. Looking ahead, the blueprint remains a valuable long-term policy and operational guideline, offering regional development agencies a clear structure for planning smart, sustainable investments in freight infrastructure.

Designed as a practical, off-the-shelf toolkit, this solution delivers complete technical architecture designs, functional requirements, and software integration standards for automated gate access and truck scheduling. It is tailored specifically for port authorities, inland container terminal managers, ICT solution providers, and logistics park operators seeking to modernize their facilities. By offering a ready-to-implement technical blueprint, the toolkit remains an invaluable long-term asset—saving logistics hubs months of system design work when transitioning from manual, paper-based gate checks to fully automated digital entry.

Developed as a standardized, off-the-shelf digital blueprint, this solution provides a complete roadmap to automate and streamline gate access at ports and inland freight terminals. It establishes clear functional guidelines, system architecture specifications, and data exchange protocols designed to integrate Optical Character Recognition (OCR) cameras, license plate identification, mobile driver verification, and automated barrier controls directly into daily terminal operations. The framework serves port authorities, maritime and inland terminal operators, freight village managers, and logistics IT providers seeking to modernize their access infrastructure. The blueprint remains an enduring asset for the freight sector by replacing manual documentation and physical security checks with seamless digital validation. This automated approach drastically reduces truck queuing times, driver wait periods, and localized traffic congestion around freight hubs. By offering open, standardized technical specifications, external terminal operators can readily implement secure, paperless entry and exit management without the time and expense of building custom software systems from scratch.

Designed as an operational roadmap, this framework details how small road hauliers and regional shippers can digitally aggregate cargo demand to optimize fleet capacity and lower transit costs. It serves as a practical guide for freight forwarder associations, regional logistics hubs, and small-to-medium transport enterprises looking to streamline regional freight movements. The roadmap remains an enduring asset for the logistics sector by delivering field-tested models that increase cargo load factors, eliminate empty return runs, and reduce regional carbon emissions long after project completion.

This output establishes long-term sustainability guidelines for Solution No. 1 – Transport Flow Management and Vehicle Booking Systems (VBS), a framework jointly developed within the ACCESSmile project by the Port Network Authority of the Eastern Adriatic Sea in Trieste, the Port of Rijeka Authority, and the MAHART Container Center in Budapest. By bringing together the experiences and results of three complementary pilot actions, the solution offers a cohesive approach to improving last-mile accessibility between major port terminals and delivery points in rural and peripheral regions. The underlying pilots directly tackled several persistent bottlenecks at port and terminal gates, including unpredictable truck arrival patterns, traffic congestion, and slow, manual entry procedures. By combining distinct technological implementations—specifically the Pre-Exit Notification system in Trieste, smart gate access utilizing virtual ID cards in Rijeka, and a Vehicle Booking and Call-in system in Budapest—the partnership successfully established a unified transnational framework for efficient transport flow management.

This output establishes the long-term sustainability guidelines for Solution No. 2 – Gates and Entry/Exit Tools and Procedures, a framework jointly developed within the ACCESSmile project to drive the digitalization and automation of gate operations. The solution addresses critical bottlenecks at access points, aiming to reduce traffic congestion, enhance site security, and streamline vehicle throughput across ports, multimodal terminals, freight villages, and peripheral logistics nodes. The framework synthesizes the practical results and insights from five complementary pilot actions deployed across Central Europe: ZAILOG (Verona Freight Village) in Italy, focusing on intermodal inland terminal access; Port of La Spezia in Italy, streamlining maritime gate workflows; Luka Koper in Slovenia, optimizing high-volume port access; Hungarian National Association of Radio Distress-Signalling and Infocommunications in Hungary, enhancing inland and river corridor access; Baltic Container Terminal Gdynia in Poland, automating container gate checks. Each pilot introduced targeted ICT innovations—such as automated vehicle identification, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) scanning, pre-registration portals, automated weight controls, and real-time data exchange with Port Community Systems (PCS) and Terminal Operating Systems (TOS). Together, these trials form a scalable, interoperable, and transnational blueprint designed to boost last-mile logistics efficiency and strengthen the connection between peripheral regions and major TEN-T networks.

This report offers an in-depth account of the joint solution developed and implemented under the ACCESSmile project by Gruber Logistics and Rostock Port. Focusing on Cargo Bundling and Tracking (Topic 3), the initiative aims to boost digital connectivity and operational efficiency across logistics chains operating in rural and peripheral regions of Poland and Northern Germany. The collaboration brings together two complementary perspectives: Road-based logistics ecosystem: Led by Gruber Logistics, utilizing its MyDesk digital platform to streamline carrier operations and dispatch workflows; Port-centric, intermodal ecosystem: Spearheaded by Rostock Port through its Digital Navigator, integrating specialized logistics tools such as Routescanner and Rail-Flow. By bridging these systems, the partners demonstrated how digital interoperability and cargo aggregation can reduce fragmentation, increase end-to-end visibility, and seamlessly connect smaller regional operators, freight forwarders, and shippers to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Designed specifically to tackle barriers common in peripheral logistics environments—such as limited digitalization, fragmented cargo volumes, and weak coordination between road, rail, and maritime transport modes—the pilot introduced modular, user-friendly ICT solutions. In doing so, both initiatives successfully overcome operational constraints, laying a solid foundation for the long-term sustainability, scalability, and transferability of these digital logistics models across Central Europe.