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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.
Start of LNG terminals
Start of LNG terminals
Logistics faces major challenges in connection with the establishment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, aimed at reducing dependence on natural gas from Russian pipelines. In Wilhelmshaven, Economics Minister Habeck officially launched the first pile driving. Environmental groups are protesting.
It is expected to be operational within ten months. Contracts have been signed with the state of Lower Saxony for the chartering of a total of four floating liquefied natural gas terminals – so-called Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs). "Now more than ever, we need to base our energy supply on more robust pillars. An accelerated energy transition is essential for an affordable, independent, and secure energy supply," said Habeck. "We must triple the pace of renewable energy expansion on water, on land, and on rooftops, and accelerate the development of the water sector. And this can only be achieved together.".
The FSRUs are specialized vessels capable of both receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG) from LNG tankers and converting it back into a gaseous state on board before feeding it into the gas grid. The German Federal Government has now secured options on four FSRUs (instead of the originally planned three) through the companies RWE and Uniper to further enhance security of supply in Germany. Federal funds of €2.94 billion have been allocated for this purpose. The four FSRUs each provide a regasification capacity of at least 5 billion cubic meters per year. Specifically, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) is leasing two vessels each from the providers Höegh and Dynagas, based on Germany's annual gas demand of approximately 95 billion cubic meters. RWE and Uniper will operate the vessels, with whom the Federal Government has concluded service contracts.
One of the Höegh vessels is already available and is scheduled to enter service in Wilhelmshaven at the turn of the year 2022/23. Preparatory work on the infrastructure is already well underway there. The second Höegh vessel is planned to be stationed in Brunsbüttel at the beginning of 2023. A location decision for the Dynagas vessels is still pending, but this is expected to be made as soon as possible. Other potential locations for basing a Fireboat Rescue Unit (FSRU) include Stade, Rostock, Hamburg-Moorburg, and Eemshaven in the Netherlands.
Environmental organizations have already filed objections and are criticizing the accelerated approval process. "We have a good chance of achieving what is practically impossible in Germany: building an LNG terminal within about ten months and connecting it to the German gas supply," said Habeck, who watched the pile driving at Voslapper Groden from a ship on Thursday. He told the North German Broadcasting Corporation (NDR). https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/Bau-des-LNG-Terminals-Wilhelmshaven-Habeck-warnt-vor-Klagen,lng268.html However, he warned that legal disputes could prevent this – and of the corresponding consequences. Should the terminals not be built, security of supply would no longer be guaranteed in the event of a Russian gas shutdown.
The German environmental organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe is demanding a construction halt because the terminal endangers harbor porpoises (https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/lng-gesetz-versorgungssicherheit-103.html) and could destroy an underwater biotope. For the approximately 370-meter-long pier, 150 steel piles, each 50 meters long, are being driven into the seabed.
www.bmwk.de
www.ndr.de
