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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.
A kind of TÜV (Technical Inspection Association) for "AI"
A kind of TÜV (Technical Inspection Association) for "AI"
Photo: TUM
The proposal by scientists to pause the further development of artificial intelligence is currently being hotly debated. "That 's not helpful ," says Urs Gasser, a legal scholar from Solothurn in his view, a kind of AI certification process
Around 3,000 researchers from German-speaking countries have expressed serious concerns in an open letter regarding artificial intelligence, which they believe could pose grave risks to society and humanity. They therefore demand that no further development of any technology more powerful than the recently introduced GPT-4, successor to the ChatGPT language model, should take place for at least six months. During this period, safety regulations should be established with the help of independent experts. If AI labs do not voluntarily suspend development, such a suspension should be mandated by governments.
U. Gasser
says that unfortunately, the open letter is absorbing a great deal of attention that would be better invested in other aspects of the AI debate. It is true, he adds, that probably no one knows today how to train extremely powerful AI systems to be reliable, helpful, honest, and harmless in every situation.
A pause in AI training could not be implemented globally, and the required regulations could not be introduced within just six months. However, he was quite convinced "that a gradual further development of technologies and, in parallel, the application and adaptation of control mechanisms" was urgently needed.
The initiative, he argued , was a diversionary tactic, conjuring up the specter of a human-like artificial intelligence. This distracted from a balanced discussion of the risks and opportunities of those technologies that are currently available on the market.
In recent years, ethical principles have been developed to guide the development and application of AI. Gasser: "In particular, the OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence combine ethical principles with more than 400 concrete tools. The US standards agency NIST has also issued a 70-page guideline on how biases in AI systems can be detected and addressed. In the area of safety for large AI models, we are seeing new methods such as 'Constitutional AI,' with which an AI system learns principles of good behavior from humans and can then monitor the results of another AI application. Significant progress has been made, especially regarding safety, transparency, and data protection, and there are even specialized auditing firms."
Photos: TUM
Now it depends on whether and how such tools are actually used. "Are plug-ins permitted that record interactions between users, contacts, or other personal data?" The fact that much remains unclear is demonstrated by the preliminary injunction and the opening of an investigation against the developer of ChatGPT by the Italian data protection authority.
Gasser points out that we know from the history of technology that the "good" or "bad" use of technologies is difficult to predict, "that technologies often bring both, and that negative effects can also be unintentional." Clear red lines and prohibitions are necessary. Experts should assess potential risks in each case.
“This isn’t a new idea,” says Gasser. “From vehicle registration to TÜV inspections and accounting audits, we use such testing procedures and bodies in a wide variety of areas of life. However, the challenge is significantly greater with certain AI methods and applications, also because some systems evolve along with the application itself, meaning they are dynamic.”.
At the EU level, an AI law is currently being finalized to ensure that the technologies are safe and respect fundamental rights. The draft legislation proposes classifying AI technologies according to their risk to these principles, potentially leading to bans or transparency obligations. For example, it is planned to prohibit the evaluation of private individuals' social behavior, as is currently practiced in China.
Urs Gasser has held the Chair of Public Policy, Governance and Innovative Technology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) since 2021. He is Dean of the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology and Rector of the Munich School of Politics and Public Policy (HfP) at TUM. Previously, he was Executive Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and a Professor at Harvard Law School.
