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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.
Future Prize for Fuel Cell Trucks
Future Prize for Fuel Cell Trucks
A fuel cell system from Bosch, whose three developers Christoffer Uhr, Kai Weeber, and Pierre Andrieu were awarded the Future Prize for Technology and Innovation in Berlin on Wednesday evening , weighs around 4 tons less than a comparable battery-electric drive system. A decisive advantage.
Chr.uhr, K.Weeber, P. Andrieu (from left to right).
The award winners have developed a new fuel cell drive for heavy trucks that advances emission-free long-distance transport. In the fuel cell, hydrogen reacts with oxygen to form water, continuously generating electrical energy in the process – a robust and practical alternative to diesel-powered drives in heavy goods vehicles.
The core of the innovation lies in its consistent focus on the demands of long-distance transport. The one-fifth reduction in weight is considered a decisive advantage for efficiency, as it allows for greater payload capacity. Furthermore, refueling with hydrogen takes only a few minutes. The result is a quiet, emission-free drive system suitable for any long-distance journey, even in regions with extreme climates.
Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung: "We have done our homework"
“The technology is ready. Now we also need the political will to consistently drive forward the development of a high-performance hydrogen economy. (…) As an industry, we have done our homework,” says Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung. Provided they have green hydrogen in their tanks, the Fuel Cell Power Modules (FCPM) can operate completely CO₂-free on routes of up to 1,000 km with a single tankful of around 70 kilograms of hydrogen . The only remaining emission is water vapor. Bosch is thus making an important contribution to climate neutrality in freight transport.
Heavy trucks cause more than a quarter of CO₂ emissions from road transport in the EU, yet they are indispensable for the transport of goods and merchandise. "With the Fuel Cell Power Module, Bosch demonstrates that hydrogen technology is ready for series production and can make a significant contribution to the decarbonization of road transport," says Hartung. "The combination of engineering expertise, experience, and systems understanding makes this drive system an important step towards sustainable mobility."
Photos (3): Bosch
Series production of the Fuel Cell Power Module (FCPM) actually began in 2023 at the Stuttgart- Feuerbach plant, and shortly thereafter in Chongqing, China. With more than a thousand individual parts, the FCPM is one of the most complex systems in Bosch's almost 140-year history – and at the same time, one of the most groundbreaking. From the stack and the recirculation pump to the air compressor, all key components are developed and manufactured in-house.
The drive module itself can be installed where the combustion engine was previously located. Instead of diesel tanks, pressurized hydrogen tanks are used. Refueling times are comparable, at around 15 minutes.
Valuable development data
According to Bosch, several thousand trucks worldwide are already equipped with Bosch's FCPM (Field Power Module). The modules in the field generate valuable development data: many systems exist both physically in the vehicle and as digital twins in the virtual realm. Parameters such as temperature, pressure, and wear can be continuously monitored and directly incorporated into the development of the next generation of drive systems. FCPM technology is not limited to trucks; it can also be used to implement drives for buses or marine applications.
Furthermore, data centers can be supplied with decentralized, CO₂-free electricity. In PEM electrolysis stacks (PEM = proton exchange membrane), which operate on the reverse principle, Bosch also uses the technology to produce hydrogen from water and electricity – another important component in the hydrogen value chain. Following the market launch of its electrolysis commissioned its first electrolyzer with its own electrolysis
Christoffer Uhr is Head of Fuel Cell and Electrolysis Development at Bosch, Kai Weeber is Portfolio Manager for Chemical Energy Converters in Research and Advanced Development, and Pierre Andrieu is Head of Platform and Customer Projects for Fuel Cells. The prize, awarded for the 29th time, is endowed with €250,000.
Also nominated for the German Future Prize 2025 were «traceless materials GmbH» in Hamburg with its project «Biomass instead of microplastics – innovative biomaterials replace fossil plastics» and Carl Zeiss Meditec in Jena with a vision correction through a minimally invasive laser eye surgery procedure that is expected to be suitable for millions of people.
