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Day: 8 January 2025

UPS Acquires Healthcare Cold-Chain Logistics Providers

Posted on by David Priestman

UPS has today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Frigo-Trans and its sister company BPL, which provide industry-leading, complex healthcare cold chain logistics solutions across Europe.

The acquisitions further enhance the end-to-end capabilities available to UPS Healthcare customers, who increasingly need temperature-controlled and time-critical logistics solutions globally. Frigo-Trans’ network includes temperature-controlled warehousing ranging from cryopreservation (-196°C) to ambient (+15° to +25°C) as well as Pan-European cold chain transportation. This combined with the logistics solutions brought by BPL’s time-critical freight forwarding capabilities further enhances UPS Healthcare solutions for customers in Europe.

 

UPS Healthcare delivers healthcare logistics expertise to its customers around the world. UPS Healthcare has 17 million square feet of cGMP and GDP-compliant healthcare distribution space globally. Services include inventory management, cold chain packaging and shipping, storage and fulfillment of medical devices and lab and clinical trial logistics. UPS Healthcare’s global infrastructure, UPS® Premier visibility service, track and trace technology and global quality system are suited to meet today’s complex logistics demands for the pharmaceutical, medical device and laboratory diagnostic industries.

Frigo-Trans provides an end-to-end warehouse and transportation solution for pharmaceutical and biotech customers. Frigo-Trans does this by utilizing best-in-class distribution facilities and a pharmacy-focused, Pan-European, cold-chain transportation network. Other value-added services include, but are not limited to, packaging, handling and inventory management. Headquartered in Fußgönheim, Germany, Frigo-Trans’s network expands across all countries in Europe.

BPL offers individual transport management for GDP-compliant shipping of time-critical and temperature-sensitive products. BPL manages a high-quality network of air and ocean freight carriers along with customs clearance to meet the complex, cross border needs of customers. BPL prioritizes serving biopharma customers with special temperature, quality and speed requirements. BPL is headquartered in Duesseldorf, Germany.

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Funding for AI-Powered Logistics in UK Ports and Warehouses

Posted on by Keith McKinley

RoboK, a University of Cambridge AI spinout, has announced it has secured £1 million UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding for a project to deliver an industry-first artificial intelligence (AI) safety and efficiency solution for UK ports and warehouses of all sizes.

PALLETS (which stands for Proactive AI-powered Solutions for Logistics Efficiency, Transparency and Safety), led by Robok, is the result of a recent drive by UKRI to accelerate the adoption of trustworthy and responsible AI and machine learning technologies. Robok’s platform integrates AI with existing CCTV systems, transforming video monitoring into a proactive tool for real-time hazard detection and operational improvements, setting new standards in safety and efficiency across UK logistics hubs. PALLETS, one of 21 projects to successfully secure funding from phase two of UKRI’s ‘Accelerating trustworthy AI’ opportunity, aims to lower AI adoption barriers for the transport and logistics industries while improving transparency and security.

The project also brings together unique expertise from key partners: Astron Fire & Security, Freeport East, Port of Dover, The Finishing Line, The University of Essex, and The Bristol Port Company. This diverse collaboration offers the combined strengths of AI innovation, security infrastructure, port operations, academic research, and logistics expertise. Together, the consortium seeks to tackle significant industry challenges including hazard detection and operational bottlenecks in a secure and trusted manner. The project concludes at the end of March 2025 and is poised to set new benchmarks in AI-driven safety and efficiency for the UK’s logistics and transport sectors.

Hao Zheng (pictured), Founder & CEO of RoboK, commented, “PALLETS aligns perfectly with RoboK’s vision to create safer and more efficient industrial workplaces. We are honoured to collaborate with key industry partners on a project of such strategic importance to the UK economy.”

Steve Beel, CEO of Freeport East commented “Freeport East is delighted to be involved in PALLETS. This demonstrates our role acting as a convenor, making linkages to progress innovative applications and technologies in the ports and logistics sector.”

Mark Burton, Head of IT at the Port of Dover said: “We’re really pleased with the progress being made in our work with RoboK on the PALLETS initiative. The early results are very positive, and we’ve gained some helpful insights into how computer vision might support our operational goals moving forward and also sparked new ideas about how we can apply this technology across different areas of our business.”

Holly Leonard, Innovation Partnerships Manager at the University of Essex said: “The University is proud to be collaborating with partners to deliver PALLETS, which will fast-track AI solutions into the logistics sector. Essex researchers in AI and cyber security will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of novel solutions which will deliver automation and efficiencies in a complex environment. These solutions will lead to significant efficiencies for logistics firms, which will have a positive economic and environmental impact.”

David Brown, Chief Executive at The Bristol Port Company, noted: “Bristol Port is delighted to continue their work with Robok and utilise their expertise with AI to identify potential accidents before they happen. The PALLETS project is enabling The Port to gain an enhanced understanding of how AI can make our business even safer and more efficient. The early results have been most encouraging and we look forward to continuing our partnership.”

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Realignment for Specialist Attachment Manufacturer

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Since 1st January 2025, specialist attachment manufacturer Schulte-Henke GmbH is officially operating under the name stabau GmbH. The company will adopt the name of its established brand for attachments, stationary equipment and telescopic forks for intralogistics. But this is more than just a simple name change. The strategic realignment will see the company and the brand stabau GmbH become a key player within the Hubtex Group.

Repositioning the company

For more than 50 years, Schulte-Henke GmbH from Meschede, Germany has been manufacturing forklift attachments for every application under the name stabau. This name change creates one clear identity for the company, its employees and the stabau brand. Uniformity not only improves communication and ensures recognition, but also creates the basis for a stronger market presence.

One name that consolidates

The decision to change the name is not only a step towards a clear brand identity, but also a strategic measure for international expansion. “The name stabau has always been synonymous with quality, innovation and reliability,” explains Hans-Joachim Finger, Managing Director of the HUBTEX Group. “By changing the name, we are emphasising these values even more and creating a clear identity that will also help us advance internationally.” To further expand international sales activities, new locations have been established in the US and the United Kingdom. The close collaboration between stabau and the HUBTEX Group also strengthens the brand’s global presence and opens up new markets. Customers, especially international customers, benefit from fast service, physical proximity and stabau’s reputation for high quality.

LogiMAT 2025

Another highlight of 2025 will be the LogiMAT trade fair taking place from 11th to 13th March in Stuttgart. Together with partner companies HUBTEX and Genkinger, stabau will be exhibiting at the leading trade fair from stand 10C31 in hall 10. “LogiMAT gives us the opportunity to present our new identity to an international audience and to make new business contacts,” says Stefan Huhn, Plant Manager at stabau.

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CE Certification for High-Payload Vector Robot

Posted on by David Priestman

Locus Robotics, a global leader in flexible, AI-powered warehouse automation, announced that its largest, most dynamic mobile robot, the Locus Vector, has achieved CE certification. This milestone reinforces Locus’s commitment to innovation and operational excellence, enabling broader deployments across Europe and other international markets. Powered by the LocusONE™ platform, Locus Vector enhances warehouse productivity, flexibility, and scalability, empowering businesses to automate complex workflows with unmatched efficiency.

Currently operational at multiple sites, Locus Vector is actively deployed across leading 3PLs and a premier global apparel and footwear retailer in Europe. With this certification, Locus demonstrates its ability to manage complex multi-step processes, accommodate larger payloads, and seamlessly adapt to a wider range of order dimensions, strengthening its position as a leader in flexible and scalable warehouse automation.

Unlimited Throughput

Powered by the LocusONE™ platform, Locus Vector complements existing Locus Origin fleets, allowing customers to seamlessly expand their automation capabilities for workflows requiring higher payloads or specialized handling, such as case picking, replenishment and returns. LocusONE™ enables real-time fleet optimization and visibility, productivity tracking, and integration with third-party systems like WMS and ERP, allowing incremental expansion and unlimited throughput without infrastructure overhauls.

Locus Vector, combined with Locus Origin, highlights Locus’s advantage in flexible automation over traditional systems like AS/RS and G2P, which struggle with heavier items and orders, complex SKUs, and brownfield applications. By picking directly from pallets, both Vector and Origin eliminate decanting and reduce labor costs, making it ideal for dynamic, high-throughput environments.

Driving Customer Success Across Industries

“This CE certification for Locus Vector allows us to bring the benefits of our flexible warehouse automation solution to more customers globally,” said Denis Niezgoda, Chief Commercial Officer, International, at Locus Robotics. “Vector’s exceptional payload capacity, mobility, and seamless integration into LocusONE™ make it the ideal solution for robust automation in industries like 3PL, retail, and healthcare. Customers are already seeing increased flexibility and efficiency by deploying Vector alongside their Locus Origin fleets or standalone.”

Expanding Applications and Value

Locus Vector enables seamless warehouse process automation across operations. For example, a UK-based 3PL uses Vector for wine distribution, automating bottle picking directly onto mobile pallet dollies. Meanwhile, a leading retailer in Czechia uses Locus Vector for large-volume replenishment while Origin robots handle picking tasks. The LocusONE™ platform orchestrates these workflows in real-time, optimizing operations and improving productivity.

With Locus Vector’s CE certification, Locus Robotics continues to advance flexible automation, meeting the growing demand for innovative and high-performing solutions globally.

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