Entrepreneur Karl Wills’ new invention Pelipod aims to make a major impact on the logistics industry.

He has chosen Wales to develop the smart delivery and collections pod, and is based at the Ebbw Vale Innovation Centre, owned and run by Tata Steel subsidiary UK Steel Enterprise, from where the product is being promoted nationwide.

A former senior executive of MetaPack, the largest company behind the delivery decisions for online orders and delivery of parcels in the UK, had the brainwave around three years ago. His imaginative new product is a secure, smart ‘mini-warehouse’ which can be strategically situated for drop-offs and collections.

Several blue chip companies are trialling the Pelipod and hopes are high that it will be a part of business and everyday life within a short while. Expansion plans are ambitious - the aim is to employ 40 people with a £10m turnover within three years.

“People would probably be surprised to know that around 50 million deliveries in the UK go astray every year,” said Mr Wills. “This is obviously a huge inconvenience and a huge loss being incurred.

“For an engineering firm or utility company for example, it could be placed somewhere convenient for the person who is collecting parts to use that day, cutting down travel and time. It could be in the site office of a building site to make deliveries and collections more efficient and secure.”

Home deliveries could be improved too, with a Pelipod in a local store or at the home, removing the need to stay in and wait for parcels, and providing proof of delivery," said Mr Wills.

He said: "We are very happy that we moved here, it has proved to be an excellent decision.

“It is easy to get to, especially with recent improvements to the Heads of the Valleys road, and we like the flexible arrangements for growing businesses. There is room to expand when we need to.”

Kim Robinson of EVIC said: "Peilpod is a very exciting business and fits well into the ethos of the Innovation Centre. We have a community of innovative businesses here, and we aim to create the culture and setting for them to grow and expand, creating jobs.”

Expansion is well underway as the Pelipod begins to make its mark. It is secure and can be opened only with codes generated online, accessed through a lap top or mobile device. Codes are transmitted to the box via the internet, and every transaction is recorded and photographed giving full information on the Pelipod’s activity. Pelipod is battery powered and operates on a stand-alone basis, without the need for cabling.