Omniva has opened its first MicroHUB in Tallinn as a pilot intended to reduce van journeys in the city and support greener urban logistics. The international technology and logistics group says couriers are expected to save time and parcels should reach customers faster, while the company tests a more localised way of replenishing deliveries.
The MicroHUB is a specially adapted container equipped with security systems and located within a courier’s delivery area. Rather than making a lengthy round trip to a sorting centre to collect more parcels, couriers can pick up additional items during their rounds. Omniva says this also enables it to use more cargo bikes instead of vans for parcel deliveries, keeping couriers closer to their delivery areas for longer.
First results from the pilot are expected within a month and will help determine the next steps. In the next phase, Omniva plans to test parcel collection from the MicroHUB with Crowd Delivery couriers. Those tests would follow the initial delivery trial, which is focused on courier replenishment and vehicle use.
Hannes Falten, head of delivery innovation at Omniva, said initial estimates suggest that a MicroHUB could save each courier up to three hours a day and allow them to serve around 20 additional customers. He described the model as an opportunity to handle growing parcel volumes without putting more vans on city streets and as part of a move towards smarter logistics with a smaller environmental footprint.
If the pilot is successful, Omniva plans to introduce more MicroHUBs in Tallinn and a similar solution in Riga, Vilnius and Kaunas. The expansion is presented as a possible next step if the trial succeeds, rather than a confirmed rollout.
A visible addition to the neighbourhood
The first MicroHUB also has a creative side. Its exterior was painted by street artist S-Boy’s team. According to Omniva, the artwork brings more colour and character to the neighbourhood and gives passers-by something worth stopping to look at.
The pilot sits within a broader discussion of last-mile infrastructure and the challenges of moving goods through cities. Autonomous delivery and those urban freight issues are due to be explored at Urban Logistics, which is scheduled to take place at ExCeL London on 9-10 June 2027.