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About

Jakob Puchinger is a prominent researcher specializing in urban logistics, last-mile delivery optimization, and autonomous transportation systems. His work sits at the intersection of operations research and smart city planning, addressing the growing challenge of efficiently moving goods through increasingly congested urban environments. Puchinger's most significant contributions center on hybrid delivery systems that combine conventional vehicles with autonomous robots. His highly cited work on van-based robot hybrid pickup and delivery routing (97 citations) and integrating autonomous delivery into passenger transportation networks (86 citations) has helped establish the theoretical and computational foundations for next-generation urban freight systems. A recurring theme across his research is the creative repurposing of underutilized transportation assets — whether passenger vehicles or charging infrastructure — to enhance delivery efficiency. His more recent investigations explore electric van–robot collaboration with en-route charging, access-restricted robot deliveries, and the modeling of parcel demand from synthetic urban populations, demonstrating a commitment to both methodological innovation and real-world applicability. The Lyon case study pipeline, built entirely on open-source tools, exemplifies his dedication to reproducible, policy-relevant research. With over 230 cumulative citations and a growing body of work, Puchinger is an influential voice shaping how cities will design sustainable, technology-driven logistics systems in the years ahead.