WAGNER Switzerland AG
WWW.LOGISTICSINNOVATION.ORG
The online magazine for Switzerland, the EU and the rest of the world
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.
SSI with IML in the Enterprise Lab
SSI with IML in the Enterprise Lab
Photo: IML
SSI Schäfer and Fraunhofer IML have agreed to a close collaboration for three years within the framework of an "Enterprise Lab". The cooperation started on June 1st – practically with immediate effect, as was announced at LogiMAT.
The newly established research workshop work on innovations for future logistics applications SSI Schäfer is the 13th company, following Kion , Keller & Kalmbach, Commerzbank, the European Pallet Association (EPAL), Deutsche Telekom, Dachser SE, Rhenus SE & Co. KG, Boehringer-Ingelheim, the BMW Group, DB Schenker, the Würth Group, and Sick, to opt for this innovative form of joint research between industry and academia.
Steffen Bersch, CEO of the SSI Schäfer Group, sees great potential in the Enterprise Lab: “We look forward to the intensive collaboration with Fraunhofer IML and also with the other Enterprise Lab partners. We are convinced that the cooperation with the experts will provide us with new insights and impetus for future innovations in intralogistics.”
“With SSI Schäfer, another major player in the industry has opted for close collaboration with Fraunhofer IML,” said Michael ten Hompel, Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML). “This collaborative format enables us, together with our partners, to position ourselves at the forefront of research and to leverage the disruptive potential of the latest technological developments. The start of our collaboration with SSI Schäfer marks an important step in jointly establishing an internationally recognized innovation hub for artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0 in Dortmund.”
The Enterprise Labs format originated at Fraunhofer IML in 2013 as a new form of collaboration between companies, research, and development. Companies and Fraunhofer IML agree to collaborations lasting at least three years, working in agile teams with flexible research focuses – often in partnership with the associated chairs at TU Dortmund University or the Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering ISST. For the mixed teams of companies and Fraunhofer researchers, co-working spaces, professional workshops, laboratories, and testing facilities are available in three large halls, as well as in the Enterprise Lab Center, which was established specifically for this purpose at Fraunhofer IML in 2016. Prototypes can also be built directly on-site and even produced in small series.
