WAGNER Switzerland AG
WWW.LOGISTICSINNOVATION.ORG
The online magazine for Switzerland, the EU and the rest of the world
“Best of Intralogistics” in the test camp
As part of the Test Camp Intralogistics and the International Forklift of the Year (IFOY) competition, the preliminary certificates for 2026 were presented today in Dortmund by Jan Drömer, Chairman of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Section, to the 17 nominees who will now go into the final round.
SVTL meets in a historic setting
The general assembly of the Swiss Association for Temperature-Controlled Logistics at Lenzburg Castle on May 8th will address, in addition to the usual agenda items, personnel management, modern advertising for skilled workers on social media and the question of whether humanoid robots will one day be helpful .
MAGA in the approach path
German technology remains highly regarded when it comes to rapid material handling, the elimination of weaknesses, and service quality. Following successful projects in Oklahoma and Texas, the steel trader " Steel and Pipe Supply " (SPS) in Kansas City once again relied on Kasto saws and storage systems.
Rent warehouse equipment instead of buying it
Bito is launching an offensive with an economical alternative for companies that want to re-equip, expand, or temporarily supplement their warehouse and production areas, but don't want to tie up their capital long-term: renting instead of buying is the motto. The advantages – especially in " dynamic times " – are obvious.
«Kanpai» with sake on the pharmaceutical chain
Logistics provider Yusen is presenting an expanded global platform for the healthcare sector at LogiPharma in Vienna, where companies such as Novartis, Bayer, Takeda, and hospital supplier UCB are currently participating. The platform focuses on the professional delivery of specialized healthcare solutions.
Streamlined logistics
Coop's own rail connection for urban logistics in Zurich, streamlined logistics vehicles and the outsourcing of all operating room logistics in a cooperation between the Seeschau Clinic and the Swiss Post are the projects that are entering the final sprint for this year's Swiss Logistics Award from GS1.
Vacuum technology makes mobility possible
Compressed air has traditionally been used primarily for fixed installations. Schmalz's vacuum grippers also mainly operate with lines that often have to run across halls and facilities. However, mobile robotics increasingly requires flexible solutions – a need that Schmalz now intends to address more effectively.
A foray into drive technology
Safelog, the specialists for software for controlling intralogistics processes, have entered into a cooperation with the drive experts from SEW Eurodrive at LogiMAT in order to jointly develop a high-performance software for controlling mobile and stationary processes in intralogistics.
Networking with perspectives
“Never walk alone” could be the motto of a networking event hosted by the consulting experts from “Adnovum”, where the Digital Product Passport (DPP), cybersecurity and IT opportunities with Petra Merino (GS1 Switzerland) and security expert Andreas Achterholt are on the agenda on May 7th in Zurich.
Maintenance in Austria
With a new workshop in Obersiebenbrunn near Vienna, rail manufacturer Stadler is expanding its capacity for the commissioning, approval, and servicing of modern rail vehicles in Austria. The workshop has been used to maintain Westbahn's high-speed trains since March 2026.
“Best of Intralogistics” in the test camp
“Best of Intralogistics” in the test camp
As part of the Test Camp Intralogistics and the International Forklift of the Year (IFOY) competition, the preliminary certificates for 2026 were presented today in Dortmund by Jan Drömer, Chairman of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Section, to the 17 nominees who will now go into the final round.
Photo: F. Elschner.
With this quality seal, the organizers recognize all projects, devices, and solutions that reached the finals of the award and successfully completed the demanding three-stage IFOY audit. The 2026 certificate holders are Crown, Idealworks, Jungheinrich, Knapp, Libiao Robotics, Locus Robotics, Mobotic, Nomagic, PureLoX Solutions, SSI Schäfer, Still, The Mobile Robot Company, and Wiltsche Fördersysteme.
Tested innovations
IFOY Start-up of the Year spin -off award, AI2Connect, Koiotech, Pyck, and Romb Technologies received the " Best in Intralogistics " certificate. This seal represents independently verified innovation.
By reaching the IFOY finals, the companies undergo a standardized combines scientific analyses, extensive practical tests, and final testing to evaluate the degree of innovation, market relevance, and customer benefits transparently and comprehensibly. For Switzerland, Martin Schmid, forklift instructor, CTO, and Managing Director of LogisticsInnovation.org, provides advisory support for the equipment fleet and the logistics solutions being tested at the test camp.
Photos (5): M. Schmid
conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) in Dortmund, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) in Scientists analyze the technical design and degree of innovation, verify the plausibility of manufacturer specifications, and assess the market significance and customer benefits of the award participants.
In addition, the industrial trucks undergo a detailed test protocol as part of the IFOY test, in which criteria such as cost-effectiveness, sustainability, energy efficiency, safety, and ergonomics are evaluated alongside the hard facts. All results serve as the basis for the decision of the international jury of specialist journalists from around the world and are also publicly available.
Voting is anonymous
What is not public are the jury members' votes, which are cast anonymously online . The winners of the coveted IFOY Award 2026 will only be 's award night will be hosted by IFOY partner AEB.
The IFOY Award is presented by the German Association for Materials Handling and Intralogistics (VDMA) and the German Association for Robotics and Automation (VDMA). Partners include Messe Dortmund and Cascade, the world's leading manufacturer of forklift attachments. LTG is the logistics partner, and AEB is the event partner. The IFOY organization is based in Ismaning near Munich. The award is under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
members of the jury
Snejina Badjeva, Editor-in-Chief of Logistika magazine (Bulgaria), Winfried Bauer, Editor-in-Chief of f+h Fördertechnik, Materialfluss, Logistik 4.0 (Germany), Cecilia Biondi, Editor-in-Chief of Logistica Management (Italy), Alejandra Cabornero, Editor-in-Chief of Logística Profesional (Spain), Rosa Maria Cherubini, Editor of Il Giornale della Logistica (Italy), Charleen Clarke, Editor-in-Chief of Focus on Transport and Logistics (South Africa), Theo Egberts, IFOY Tester and Owner of Buro Andersom/Andersom Testing (Netherlands, non-voting member), Hilda Hultén, Editor and Publisher of Dagens Logistik (Sweden), Klaus Koch, Editor-in-Chief of LogisticsInnovation.org (Switzerland), Véronique Le Voas Barat, Publisher and Editor of Solutions Manutention (France), Valeria Lima de Azevedo Nammur.
Publisher Logweb Magazine (Brazil), Øyvind Ludt, Editor-in-Chief Tidsskriftet Logistikk / Logistikk Inside (Norway), Bernd Maienschein, Technical Editor MM Logistik (Germany), David Maloney, Editorial Director DC Velocity and CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly (USA), Marilena Matei, Editorial Director Tranzit / Tranzit Logistica (Romania), Matthias Pieringer, Editor-in-Chief Logistik Heute (Germany), Szilvia Rapi-Jaubert, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Supply Chain Monitor (Hungary).
Sascha Schmel, Managing Director of the Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association within the VDMA (Germany, non-voting), Christoph Scholze, Editor-in-Chief of dhf Intralogistik (Germany), Sebastian Śliwieński, Editor-in-Chief of Warehouse Monitor (Poland), Michal Štengl, Editor-in-Chief of Transport a Logistika (Czech Republic), Jarlath Sweeney, Editor-in-Chief of Fleet Transport (Ireland), Ying (Crystal) Xu, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, China Industrial News Network (China).
The managing chair of the jury is Anita Würmser, logistics journalist and managing partner of impact media projects.
