GRID – Grocery Resilient Urban Distribution

Research Project, 2026 – 2028

The proposed project, GRID – Grocery Resilient Urban Distribution, addresses the vulnerability of urban grocery distribution systems which, although designed for efficiency, are highly sensitive to disruptions that can reduce system capacity and threaten the continuous supply of food in urban areas. To tackle this problem, the project aims to define what constitutes a resilient urban grocery distribution system, identify key factors, develop a framework for resilience assessment, and determine the critical infrastructure supporting distribution in Swedish cities. In doing so, it will develop a digital twin of grocery distribution flows to analyse system performance under different scenarios. The project is expected to deliver a structured framework and digital twin/model that improve understanding of vulnerabilities and resilience in urban grocery distribution systems. These results will support public authorities, transport operators, and grocery companies in making more informed decisions to strengthen food distribution and ensure continuous access to food during disruptions.