“Tomorrow’s Freight Transport” mobilised – eFTI4EU and eFTI4ALL Joint Yearly Conference in Berlin Unites Public and Private Sector to Accelerate Freight Digitalisation

The 2025 eFTI4EU and eFTI4ALL Joint Yearly Conference “Tomorrow’s Freight Transport” was successfully held in Berlin on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, at the German Federal Ministry of Transport.

The eFTI4EU and eFTI4ALL projects co-organised the event, alongside Germany’s Federal Ministry for Transport (Bundesministerium für Verkehr). The conference brought together 300 participants from 41 countries, both online and in-person, coming from transport companies, digital solution providers, Member State authorities, and EU policymakers. The full-day event discussed how digital tools and regulatory frameworks—particularly the eFTI Regulation—are transforming the future of freight transport across Europe and beyond.

For PCT (Piraeus Container Terminal S.A.), progress in transport is driven by technology, collaboration and a shared vision. Through our participation in the European projects eFTI4EU and eFTI4ALL, we actively contribute to shaping a smarter, more connected, and greener future for freight transport in Europe. In full alignment with the European Union’s digital transformation strategy, digitalization represents an opportunity for meaningful evolution — linking innovation with sustainability and efficiency.

The opening keynote speeches outlined the strategic areas supported by the eFTI Regulation and related projects. Mr. Hirte, the Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Transport of Germany, host of the yearly conference, expanded on the benefits of digitalisation. In addition to reducing red tape, it plays a role in European competition and in achieving the goals of fighting climate change. “The future of transport in Europe will be connected digitally”, Mr. Hirte emphasised. A wider angle on eFTI was presented as a tool to enhance the competitiveness of Member States and the European Union, offering an opportunity to modernize and attract the next generation to the logistics sector, thereby boosting its competitiveness and ensuring sustainability.

Mrs. Kopczyńska, Director-General of DG MOVE, European Commission, also stressed that cooperation is necessary to scale the eFTI system across Europe, and events such as the conference provide a good opportunity for exchanging good ideas and brainstorming. “We need to look at digitalisation in transport more widely, more competitively, and attract new users and workers into logistics”, she added. A common topic introduced was the need for strong stakeholder engagement within the Member States, among the countries involved in the project, and, more importantly, the ones not involved.

Mr. Erichsen, the Chief Executive Officer for Toll Collect, reflected that eFTI is a European effort, and many stakeholders must be brought together. “Cooperation and coordination will make eFTI work […] the private and public sectors must work together”, Mr. Erichsen highlighted.

As eFTI regulation is the backbone of eFTI projects and implementation, Mrs. Potec, Team Leader of eFTI at DG MOVE, European Commission, gave an overview of the regulatory milestones, the outlook for the coming months and years, and shared that more supporting technical guidance will be made available as the July 2027 compliance deadline approaches.

Following the implementation presentations, Toll Collect, the Federal Office for Mobility and Logistics, In Group, and GBK Trusted Partners presented a demo of the German eFTI gate. They then observed it in action with a BALM (Bundesamt für Logistik und Mobilität) vehicle, illustrating the current real-time inspection scenario and possible use of eFTI.

The second half of the conference spotlighted private companies, demonstrating how they prepare for eFTI and integrate it into the freight journey. ABONA introduced its solution and vision, GBK Trusted Partner, focused on motivation and use cases for the eFTI regulation, especially on dangerous goods and data required in the eFTI legislation. Digital Logistics Centre of Excellence (DLK) gave an overview of the eFTI testbed and other piloting initiatives.

The panel discussion, moderated by Mr. Christian Lüpges from Albrecht Consult, focused on the benefits and challenges for economic operators, emphasising that cooperation is key to ensuring trust and interoperability, which the eFTI projects provide. Representatives from Circle Group, PIONIRA NV and Transport Innovation Association also joined the debate, contributing with valuable perspectives from industry and innovation networks. However, raising awareness about the benefits of digitalisation and eFTI remains a challenge.

There were also presentations on the experiences in implementing eFTI from the Estonian perspective, the use of open-source data, and a presentation by Andreas Nettsträter, Chief Executive Officer of the Open Logistics Foundation, who explained how eFTI and eCRMs can complement and benefit each other thanks to harmonisation.

Additionally, the introduction of the new eFTI4LIVE project, coordinated by the Ministry of Transport and Mobility of Spain, was delivered by the coordinator of this newly funded initiative, Mrs. María Carmen Corral Escribano. This project is expanding the ecosystem and boosting implementation efforts.

In the words of the Project Coordinators, the event was a success:

Eva Killar, eFTI4EU Project Coordinator stated: “This conference truly demonstrated how collaboration turns vision into reality. eFTI is no longer a concept on paper — it is becoming a practical, interoperable solution built through joint effort across Europe. The energy and engagement we saw here in Berlin show that the digital transformation of freight transport is well underway, and together we are ensuring that it is smart, sustainable, and inclusive”.

Jan Bergstrand, Project Coordinator of eFTI4ALL, added: “It is clear, with the trinity of eFTI CEF projects now ongoing, that we have a great opportunity to improve the adoption of digitalisation in transport and logistics. In eFTI4ALL, we are planning for tangible results through use cases and the involvement of economic operators to provide the necessary input to the gate. We were able to see and hear about some really promising cases at the Berlin conference”.

Key Takeaways:

·         Focusing on stakeholder engagement and strengthening knowledge and experience sharing among all Member States interested in implementing eFTI, the eFTI4EU and eFTI4ALL project partners expressed their commitment to exchange best practices and support the effective rollout of the Regulation. With the compliance deadline approaching in July 2027, these joint efforts are crucial to ensure a coordinated and successful implementation across Europe.

·         eFTI is moving into the testing and implementation phase. Numerous practical experiences were shared during the conference, and private companies showcased their solutions. Several use cases, demos, and tests are already working on cross-country cooperation and data exchange.

·         A third eFTI Project was announced – eFTI4LIVE, with 54 partners, 18 EU Member States involved, €47.8 million budget and 4-year duration. eFTI4LIVE focuses on critical areas such as platform certification, governance, interoperability frameworks, and go-live planning.

About eFTI4EU and eFTI4ALL:

The eFTI4EU and eFTI4ALL projects are pioneering initiatives facilitating the implementation of the European electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI) Regulation. Their collaborative efforts aim to streamline freight transport documentation, promote interoperability between businesses and authorities, and support sustainable and efficient transport logistics in line with the EU’s digital transformation agenda.