DPD EcoLaunchpad

DPD in the UK is one of the leading parcel delivery companies in the country. DPD are wholly owned by France’s La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

DPD is dedicated to offering its customers exceptional service and embedding both sustainability and innovation into its core strategy to reduce their environmental impact while still maintaining high service levels with a view to being net zero by 2040.

Having worked together since 2015, L Marks partnered again with DPD in 2023 to launch the DPD EcoLaunchpad. This programme was designed by L Marks to discover innovative solutions for DPD, and bring together experts in sustainability, technology and innovations to develop and test new ideas. During this ten-week Innovation Programme, the five selected companies worked alongside senior executives at DPD to test their solutions in a safe environment and explore opportunities for longer-term commercial partnerships.

“The project will play a key part in shaping our sustainability strategy and helping achieve our stated aim of being net zero by 2040. Investing in and developing new sustainable technologies and innovations is crucial to ensure we can reach net zero, and partnering with experts in this way can accelerate that progress.”

Tim Jones, Director of Marketing, Communications & Sustainability at DPD Group UK

The categories for the inaugural DPD EcoLaunchpad programme were:

• Carbon Emission Reduction in Buildings: ‘Hub of the Future’
  DPD was seeking innovative solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of its growing network of over 100 depots, hubs and offices, focusing on current operations and future developments. This category focused on technologies that could be retrofitted into existing buildings or incorporated into the design and construction of more sustainable depots moving forward.
• Carbon Emission Reduction in Collection & Delivery
  As DPD has committed to becoming the UK’s most sustainable delivery company, with a growing fleet of almost 4,000 electric vehicles in their Collection and Delivery operations. In this category, DPD was interested in seeing innovations that would support their EV charging infrastructure and alternative charging electric vehicle options.
• Carbon Emission Reduction in Transport: Fleet Decarbonisation
  DPD has over 1,000 Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) across the UK and is committed to further reducing their carbon footprint. In this category, DPD was seeking solutions on alternative fuel sources, electric battery technology, and innovative delivery methods to make their HGV operations more sustainable.
• Wildcard
  This category is focused on innovations in technology, such as within the realm of Robotics and Digital Twins.

L Marks’ scouting team sourced 580 startups from over 24 countries for this programme. From this group, 118 startups applied to join the programme, 48 were shortlisted to be screened for the programme, and 15 were invited to pitch at Pitch Day. At Pitch Day, five companies were selected to join the programme and work across the three categories.

Throughout the course of the ten-week programme, three of the startups carried out Proof of Concept (PoC) trials of their solutions, and two used the time primarily on researching and analysing DPD’s operations. Seven site visits took place, one of which was in Munich, where one of the German startups was developing their robotic prototype at their HQ. The startups received a huge amount of engagement and support from DPD, with over 62 DPD stakeholders contributing to the programme.

STARTUPS

Deus Robotics – Deployed and up and running… 

Deus Robotics, based in Boston, develops advanced robotics technology and software systems that support companies to more efficiently store, manage, and distribute products in a warehouse environment.

During the programme, they developed custom-built AI-powered software to operate the warehouse robots, a user-friendly cross-platform web application, specially designed transportation cages, and their proprietary “Rack Robots”. Equipped with obstacle-detecting technology, the robots help increase productivity by up to five times and can transport racks weighing up to 1,100 lbs.

Unlike traditional fixed-infrastructure automation, Deus Robotics offers a flexible, modular system that was deployed and running at a DPD site within days. This rapid integration minimises disruption and accelerates ROI. The technology allows warehouse teams to focus on higher-value, less physically demanding work, while the robots handle the movement of goods.

Following the programme, DPD placed an initial order to transform the operation at its flagship Docklands sortation centre in London.