Open Logistics Foundation’s review of the year

In 2025, the Open Logistics Foundation demonstrated the impact of open source in logistics across many areas, including a first industry-ready standard for the digital consignment note (eCMR) and real-world pilots to validate and implement a standard for the exchange of emissions data. The Foundation ends the year with 50 members and 7 network partners from 12 countries, and aims to become even more diverse in 2026.

The Working Group “Electronic Transport Documents” and its associated project, “eCMR”, form the lighthouse project of the Open Logistics Foundation, which was established at the end of 2021. At the transport logistic press conference in Munich in June 2025, the Foundation and its members generated significant interest by presenting the first industry-ready open-source software that establishes a common standard for the digital consignment note.

“As part of the project, 28 companies from the logistics sector have jointly developed an industry-wide standard,” explains Andreas Nettsträter, CEO of the Open Logistics Foundation. “We finally have the long-awaited foundation for the digital and efficient organization of international freight transport that is both technically and legally secure. Open source simplifies the transition to digitalization and drives standardization of commodities in digital value chains. Our goal is to use this open source approach to digitalize many more transport documents and information.”

Standardized exchange of emissions data

The Working Group “Enabling Logistics Decarbonization” also made a name for itself in 2025. Founded in 2024, it deals with the open-source implementation of emissions data exchange. The Emissions Data Exchange project involves validating and implementing the iLeap data model, which was developed by Smart Freight Centre and the SINE Foundation to facilitate the exchange of sustainability data along the supply chain.

Within the Open Logistics Foundation, in 2025 real-data pilots on this topic were launched, and these will continue in 2026. The aim is to accompany real transports with real data and publish the Foundation's findings. “The Working Group is committed not only to promoting decarbonization in the logistics industry, but also to implementing de facto standards and open-source solutions that everyone can use,” says Nettsträter. “No logistics company can afford to ignore this issue, and we want to demonstrate to the industry that it can only be achieved collectively.”

Transformation initiative: “We want to become even stronger and more diverse”

The Open Logistics Foundation sees itself as a transformation initiative, a perception that is widely shared. “Awareness of the importance of open-source solutions has increased dramatically since 2025, particularly in relation to popular topics such as digital sovereignty and resilience,” says Carina Tüllmann, the Open Logistics Foundation's CCO. The basic idea behind the Foundation, established at the end of 2021, has proven successful through projects such as eCMR. “We have built up a high level of trust in our expertise within the industry and have become the preferred point of contact for topics such as eCMR, eFTI and other digital issues.”

This is also reflected in the Foundation's increasing Europeanisation in 2025. By the end of the year, 50 members and 7 network partners from 12 different countries are on board, with a focus on Europe. “In 2026, we will continue to develop our cooperation with major European networks and industry partners, with the aim of playing a more prominent role in regional markets. Our goal is to become stronger and more diverse,” adds Tüllmann.