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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.
"Silicon Economy": Milestone reached
"Silicon Economy": Milestone reached
At the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, over 150 scientists have drawn a positive conclusion from the large-scale research project "Silicon Economy". Over a period of four years, 20 development projects and the "Open Logistics Foundation" were initiated.
From the digital consignment note (eCMR) and preparations for EU-wide digital freight information (eFTI) to AI-based estimated time-of-arrival services, IoT devices and dynamic transport robots, numerous projects have been implemented in Dortmund.
In a consortium, Fraunhofer IML and the Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering ISST, together with various chairs at TU Dortmund University, researched new topics for open-source logistics. In addition, numerous hardware and software components were developed and subsequently released as open source via the Open Logistics Foundation's repository – thus making them freely available to industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and start-ups.
Since 2020, the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) has funded Silicon Economy research with a total of approximately 35 million euros. The focus of the funding, which ran in two phases (2020 to 2023 and 2023 to the end of 2024), was on the digitalization of the industry.
Photos: IML
“Especially given the shortage of skilled workers, we must rely on fully digital processes wherever possible,” Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing is quoted as saying. “The results provide important insights for our goal of a fully digital transport chain.” Now, as a study at the project's conclusion clearly demonstrated, it is crucial to stay on top of things and make the right adjustments for the future, said IML Institute Director Michael Henke at the closing event.
The funding project was the starting point for the Open Logistics Foundation, which is intended to continue the new collaboration on a private-sector basis. The foundation was established in 2021 by Dachser, DB Schenker, duisport, and Rhenus.
The core of the foundation's work is the operation of the so-called Open Logistics Repository , a technical platform on which software and hardware, interfaces, reference implementations and components are available as open source under a free license (permissive license).
Open Logistics Foundation: https://openlogisticsfoundation.org/
