Omniva has opened its first MicroHUB in Tallinn, placing a specially adapted, security-equipped container inside a courier’s delivery area. The international technology and logistics group says the hub is intended to reduce van journeys in the city and help parcels reach customers faster while supporting greener urban logistics.
Under the setup, couriers can collect additional parcels during their rounds instead of making a lengthy return trip to a sorting centre. Omniva says this allows it to use more cargo bikes rather than vans for parcel deliveries.
The first results from the pilot are expected within a month and will inform next steps. In the next phase, Omniva plans to test parcel collection from the MicroHUB with Crowd Delivery couriers. If the pilot is successful, the company intends to introduce more MicroHUBs in Tallinn and a similar solution in Riga, Vilnius and Kaunas.
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 approach as a way to handle growing parcel volumes without adding more vans to city streets and to move toward smarter logistics with a smaller environmental footprint.
Omniva also said the exterior of the first MicroHUB was painted by street artist S-Boy’s team, adding colour and character to the neighbourhood.