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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.
Idealworks pushes into the US market
Idealworks, part of the Munich-based Agile Robots Group, with more than 1,700 AMRs and AGVs worldwide and one of the pioneers in industrial automation through AI in robot-controlled logistics processes, has founded a US company headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina.
New chain belt sorting
At LogiMAT, conveyor technology provider Interroll attracted attention with a new chain-belt sorting system developed after the acquisition of Sortteq. Together with MCP Play, this creates a material flow ecosystem that combines single-item transport with intelligent sorting.
8.5 seconds delay per flight
8.5 seconds delay per flight
Tower in Zurich
According to the Swiss air navigation service provider Skyguide, air traffic has recovered more slowly after the coronavirus pandemic than expected. Commissioned by the Swiss Air Force, Skyguide successfully provided security for the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the UN Refugee Summit in Geneva, and also handled three IT incidents.
Overall, air traffic in Switzerland increased again by 5.1% last year, and Skyguide delivered a "very good operational performance." However, traffic volume is still 7.6% lower than in the pre-Covid year of 2019. In terms of revenue, air traffic control remains under financial pressure.
Operating expenses are estimated at CHF 519 million, representing an increase of 10.2% compared to the previous year's figure of CHF 471 million. This increase is primarily due to higher investments in system resilience.
Inbound/outbound flights
The national airports of Geneva (+6.6%) and Zurich (+15.1%) both recorded higher traffic volumes than in 2022, mainly due to the heavy holiday travel. Nevertheless, in 2023, 97.7% of all civil flights controlled by Skyguide were on time, according to the European network manager Eurocontrol. The previous year's figure was 97.3%. Air traffic control-related delays averaged 8.5 seconds per flight (previous year: 18.3 seconds).
The delays were mainly caused by difficult weather conditions. Other factors included capacity constraints at other airports, the introduction of new systems in neighboring countries, and strikes in France.
CEO A. Bristol
Skyguide is in a crucial phase of transformation: While numerous systems have already been migrated to the new, virtualized technical infrastructure, the old infrastructure is not yet completely decommissioned. This temporary dual operation increases the potential for errors and costs.
From the beginning of 2023 to the present, there have been three technical incidents: On October 30, 2023, a manipulation error during the installation of new firewalls caused a disruption of takeoffs at Zurich Airport for approximately two hours. On December 18, 2023, an interruption between two technical applications delayed takeoffs and landings at Zurich Airport by about 20 minutes. And on February 18, 2024, a server temporarily slowed down, resulting in a disruption of takeoffs and landings at Zurich Airport for about ten minutes. In all cases, safety was fully ensured and the overall impact on air traffic was minimal, as Eurocontrol noted in a punctuality analysis.
Photos: Skyguide
Military flight operations, also handled by Skyguide, decreased by 3.4% to 85,237 in 2023 (previous year: 88,154), as the Swiss Air Force conducted fewer training missions. Skyguide supported 193 live and hot missions and 2,363 tactical missions (previous year: 211 and 2,397) for the Swiss Air Force.
Alex Bristol, CEO of Skyguide: “Our top priority is safe daily operations. That’s why we focused on the resilience of our systems last year. We will continue to drive Skyguide’s transformation because we are convinced that virtualization is the only way to make European air navigation services more efficient, resilient, and sustainable.”
