Postal innovation for Europe: Scaling strategic impact and competitiveness
Date
Event Description
Europe’s postal operators are undergoing a profound transformation—moving far beyond traditional mail to become strategic enablers of Europe’s digital, green and territorial cohesion goals.
With one of the largest physical and trusted networks in Europe, the postal sector is uniquely positioned to support the European Commission and the European Parliament in achieving the EU’s key priorities: the EU Green Deal, Digital Europe, Cohesion and Fit for 55 Competitiveness.
When policymakers think of innovation, they often look to technology giants or unicorn start-ups. Yet, postal operators are quietly building one of the most powerful open innovation ecosystems in Europe—combining public trust, physical infrastructure, and technological adoption at scale.
This Forum will showcase how innovation in the postal sector translates into concrete, scalable solutions: from AI-driven logistics and carbon-neutral mobility to digital identity services and inclusive access to the digital economy.
Why the Postal Sector Matters for EU Policy
A Europe-wide innovation infrastructure
160,000+ access points and 1.5 million employees across the EU, deeply embedded in all territories—including underserved regions—forming a strategic backbone for cross-border delivery, digital services, and innovation deployment.
Accelerating the Green & Digital Transitions
From zero-emission fleets to predictive AI and digital twins, postal operators are scaling practical solutions aligned with the EU Green Deal and Fit for 55 objectives.
Driving Cohesion and Inclusion
As the only network reaching every citizen and SME daily, postal operators are critical partners in ensuring digital literacy, financial inclusion, and accessible public services.
A Trusted Partner in a Fragmented World
Pan-European, stable, and secure networks make postal operators reliable partners in data infrastructure, e-identity, circular logistics, and AI-driven public service innovation.
Ready for Strategic Co-Investment
The sector has laid strong innovation foundations. With EU support, we can scale up impact, accelerating competitiveness and resilience across Europe.
Join us at the event for an inspiring, forward-looking exchange on how postal innovation can help shape Europe’s strategic ambitions. Explore cutting-edge ideas, gain first-hand experience, and connect directly with our speakers through their LinkedIn profiles to learn more about their expertise and professional journeys.
Agenda
10:00 – Welcome & Opening Remarks
Framing postal innovation as a lever for EU strategic priorities
- PostEurop Secretary General Botond Szebeny & Innovation Forum Team
10:15 – Keynote Speech
How the European Commission is supporting innovation actions and initiatives: funding opportunities Tatiana Lopez Garrido, European Commission
10:45 – Roundtable 1: Smarter Postal Operations — AI & Automation
AI, digital twins, and predictive systems driving operational resilience.
- Christian Oestergard (PostNord)
- Sébastien Bousseau (La Poste Groupe)
- Carlos Bhatt (CTT – Correios de Portugal)
11:30 – Roundtable 2: Greener, Leaner, Closer — Sustainable Mobility & Circular Logistics
Scaling low-emission, high-efficiency delivery and circular models.
- Marco Lommatzsch (Österreichische Post)
- Suzanne Debrichy (PostNL)
- Martina Schana (Deutsche Post DHL Group)
12:15 – Networking Lunch & experience first-hand the demo featuring German Bionic
14:00 – Roundtable 3: From Counters to Platforms — Digital Transformation & Customer Experience
Reimagining postal networks as digital-first citizen platforms.
- Nathalie Quintin (La Poste)
- Martti Kuldma (Omniva)
- Matej Raspet (Pošta Slovenije)
14:45 – Closing Keynote
Postal Agentic AI for Resilient Societies
- Jose Anson, Universal Postal Union
15:10 – Closing Remarks
15:30 – End of Event
To participate in the event, please register here.
About PostEurop
PostEurop represents 55 postal operators in 53 countries and territories across Europe, handling 60 billion items annually. The industry employs 2 million people, manages 258 million delivery points, and contributes approximately 1% to the EU GDP. For more information, visit www.posteurop.org.
The PostEurop Innovation Forum brings together forward-looking operators and start-ups to co-create solutions that enable Europe’s green, digital and competitive future. PostEurop Innovation is led by Carlos Bhatt, carlos.bhatt@ctt.pt Innovation Director CTT Portugal, Chair of the PostEurop Innovation Forum; Sophie Desier, sophie.desier@laposte.fr Head of Bilateral Relations with European Postal Operators La Poste Groupe France and Vice Chair of the PostEurop Innovation Forum ; Thierry Golliard, thierry.golliard@post.ch Director Innovation and Venturing SwissPost , Vice Chair of the PostEurop Innovation Forum. Maire Lodi maire.lodi@posteurop.org , Operations Manager PostEurop
