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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 " once again relied on saws and storage systems from the Rhine Valley in Kansas City.
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.
Chinese are to save Volocopter
Chinese are to save Volocopter
Photo: DLR
According to reports from the German news agency DPA and the US news agency Bloomberg, the flying taxi manufacturer Volocopter is on the verge of being acquired by its Chinese shareholder Geely, which currently holds a 40 percent stake in the company. eVTOL competitor Lilium filed for insolvency in October.
The market for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft based on drone technology, intended for future urban transport, remains challenging. Swiss Post also experienced this firsthand when, although it deployed unmanned aerial vehicles in pilot projects for transporting laboratory samples between 2017 and 2022, and even won the GS1 Swiss Logistics Award in 2017 for a project in Ticino, it faced significant challenges.
From 2018 to 2022, laboratory samples were transported by drone on behalf of the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and the University of Zurich. The route led from a roof terrace of the north wing at the USZ to the University of Zurich Irchel campus at Winterthurerstrasse 190. The drone flew – wherever possible – over wooded areas. The aircraft covered the 2.5-kilometer distance in four minutes. Regardless of traffic conditions, it thus completed the route twice as fast and more environmentally friendly than a courier on the road.
Matternet drone in Lugano. Photo: Swiss Post
However, incidents such as the 2019 crash over Lake Zurich led to the postal service returning pilot projects of this kind to the manufacturer, Matternet. A report by the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) concluded that it was only by sheer luck that no children playing nearby at a forest kindergarten were injured.
The Chinese conglomerate Geely, which owns brands such as Volvo and Polestar, acquired a minority stake in Volocopter in 2019. Zhihao Xu, CEO of Geely Technology, has served on the advisory board of the Bruchsal-based air taxi startup since September 2024. According to Bloomberg sources, the cash injection into the struggling company was expected to amount to approximately US$95 million (around €90 million); in return, Geely would receive a majority stake of about 85 percent. Reportedly, this would mean that the Baden-based air taxi company, which was valued at €1.5 billion two years ago, would now be valued at only around US$110 million (€104 million).
Image: Volocopter
Since the end of 2017, Geely has not only been the largest shareholder in Volvo Trucks AB (the passenger car division was spun off in 1999) through a $1.8 billion investment, but also, in 2019, with the help of derivatives and two US banks, the largest single shareholder in Mercedes-Benz, holding a 9.7 percent stake. Since then, the Stuttgart-based company has been trying to keep its main competitor out of the supervisory board. Back in 2009, the German magazine "Autobild" already mocked Geely for building an almost exact replica of the "Lolls Loyce" under the direction of its CEO, Li Shufu, and openly presenting the copy at a motor show.
klk. / www.Heise.de / dpa / www.bloomberg.com
