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Day: 8 July 2026

Robotics Strategic Partnership Signed

Posted on by Will Priestman

Libiao Robotics and South Korean third-party logistics provider LX Pantos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), marking the beginning of a strategic partnership focused on advancing warehouse and logistics automation.

The agreement was signed by Libiao Robotics’ Vice President of Marketing Yifei Yeo and Dr Auh Jae-Hyuck, Executive Vice President and Head of the CL Business Division at LX Pantos. Also attending the ceremony were Kim Won-seop, Country Manager for Libiao Robotics Korea, and Lee Mun-gab from the CL Business Planning Department at LX Pantos.

The MOU establishes a framework for closer collaboration in technical development, knowledge sharing and the exploration of new automation applications, reflecting both companies’ commitment to driving innovation across the logistics sector.

Growing Demand for Intelligent Logistics

As global supply chains continue to evolve, logistics providers are under increasing pressure to improve operational efficiency, flexibility and scalability. Automation and robotics are playing an increasingly important role in helping warehouses meet these challenges.

LX Pantos has been pursuing its Technology-Driven Logistics (TDL) strategy to strengthen its operational capabilities and competitive position through the adoption of advanced automation technologies. As part of this initiative, the company established the TDL Lab, bringing together leading automation suppliers to develop and evaluate solutions for the next generation of logistics operations.

As a participant in the TDL Lab, Libiao Robotics will contribute its expertise in warehouse robotics and automation to support the development of innovative logistics solutions.

The signing of the MOU builds on an existing relationship between the two companies, following a series of discussions and collaborative activities within the TDL Lab programme.

The agreement provides a formal framework for future cooperation, creating a

Combining Expertise

The partnership brings together the complementary strengths of both organisations.

As one of South Korea’s largest third-party logistics providers, LX Pantos offers extensive operational experience across a wide range of warehouse environments and logistics applications.

Libiao Robotics contributes proven robotics technology and extensive experience in delivering warehouse automation projects across multiple industries.

Under the agreement, the companies will work together on a range of initiatives, including:

  • Evaluating the feasibility of warehouse automation projects.
  • Developing and validating automation concepts for logistics operations.
  • Sharing technical knowledge and industry expertise.
  • Identifying new opportunities for innovation in warehouse automation.

Looking Ahead

The signing of the MOU represents an important milestone in the relationship between Libiao Robotics and LX Pantos and reflects a shared ambition to accelerate the adoption of intelligent automation throughout the logistics industry.

While the initial focus will be on the South Korean market, both companies also intend to explore opportunities for collaboration in other international markets.

By combining their expertise, Libiao Robotics and LX Pantos aim to develop practical automation solutions that improve warehouse efficiency, operational flexibility and long-term competitiveness for logistics operators worldwide.

The partnership marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration as both organisations work together to shape the future of logistics automation.

Why Fear of AI Is Holding Back Logistics – Podcast Episode

Posted on by Will Priestman

Many logistics professionals are asking one core question: how can AI genuinely improve warehouse and transport operations today?

Despite the buzz and hype, the reality is that AI is no longer just a theoretical concept but a practical tool transforming the industry. This episode explores how AI is evolving from a distant promise into an everyday asset, what organisations can realistically expect, and how to embrace AI fearlessly for competitive advantage.

With insights from industry expert Ben Glossup, Vice President of Sales at Aptean, we uncover the actual applications, opportunities, and mindset shifts that are helping logistics companies stay ahead in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.

Why the Industry’s Apprehension Around AI is More Perception Than Reality

Many warehouse and transport operators still approach AI with caution—sometimes even fear—largely due to how the technology has been presented. The media and public discourse often depict AI as a revolution, creating a sense of upheaval or job displacement. But according to Ben, it’s more accurate to see this as an evolution rather than a revolution.

Our systems aren’t changing overnight… it’s the same solutions, the same value statements, the same problems. We’re just using new technology to make life easier.

Explained Ben Glossup, Vice President of Sales at Aptean

Listen here:

Fleet operator achieves 400% ROI from driver safety programme

Posted on by Will Priestman

As fleet operators face rising insurance costs, increasing regulatory scrutiny and continued pressure to improve efficiency, many are investing in connected vehicle technologies to enhance driver safety and reduce operational risk. By combining telematics with driver behaviour data and incentives, these solutions are helping businesses lower collision rates while delivering measurable cost savings. Geotab, the connected vehicle and asset management solution provider, has helped Richfords in this way by reducing their fleet collision risk by 22% and achieving a return on investment (ROI) of 411% following the deployment of Geotab Vitality.

Richfords, a specialist fire and flood restoration provider headquartered in Redruth, Cornwall, with depots in Bracknell, Cullompton and the Midlands, has been a Geotab® customer since 2018. The business introduced Geotab Vitality through a two-month pilot in October 2025 with around 20 drivers, before rolling the programme out across its full 53-vehicle fleet in January 2026.

Geotab Vitality integrates directly with the existing Geotab platform, providing each driver with  a personalised scorecard updated in near-real time. The system measures key risk factors including speeding, harsh braking, cornering and harsh acceleration. Drivers progress through Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers, earning points that can be redeemed for rewards such as weekly coffee vouchers and retail gift cards.

The impact was immediate. Drivers in the pilot group improved safe driving behaviours by 53% within the first 30 days, demonstrating the power of near-instant feedback. Following the full fleet rollout, Richfords recorded further significant improvements, including a 73% reduction in harsh cornering, 61% in speeding, 55% in harsh braking and 48% in harsh acceleration.

Collision risk — already below comparable fleet benchmarks — fell by a further 22%, according to Geotab’s Predictive Collision Risk algorithm, with fleet data showing a clear step-change following full deployment.

Our previous approach didn’t give drivers timely insight… Drivers were often only becoming aware of issues weeks after they occurred, making it harder for them to remember the specific incidents and adjust their behaviour straight away. We needed drivers to have visibility of their own performance in real time, rather than relying on a manager to highlight what had already happened.

said Sheena Owen, Fleet Manager at Richfords Fire & Flood.

This shift to near-immediate, driver data quickly changed behaviour. One driver who had previously been repeatedly flagged for speeding in reports recorded zero speeding incidents during his first month on the programme—prompting colleagues outside the pilot group to actively request inclusion.

Adoption across the wider fleet was equally seamless.

We’ve introduced systems in the past where we’ve had to guide people through every step… With Geotab Vitality, drivers were downloading the app and getting started independently from day one. When a rollout is that frictionless, it becomes something drivers take ownership of, rather than something being imposed on them.

said Philippa Richford, Business Systems Manager at Richfords Fire & Flood.

Richfords demonstrates what’s possible when driver safety is treated as a personal performance conversation rather than a compliance exercise. Moving from delayed reporting to putting near-real-time data in the hands of the driver fundamentally changes their level of engagement. The results, particularly the sustained reduction in collision risk since January, shows what’s possible when that shift takes hold.

Steve Lockington, Chief Executive Officer of Geotab Vitality, added.

Automation to improve efficiency and fix labour shortages

Posted on by Will Priestman

As warehouses and distribution centres increasingly turn to automation to improve efficiency and address labour shortages, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are playing a growing role in material handling and intralogistics. Reflecting this trend, ABB Robotics has expanded its AMR portfolio with the launch of the Flexley® Stack F712, an autonomous forklift designed to support warehouse operations alongside the company’s existing tug and mover robots.

“Across intralogistics operations, businesses are being asked to process greater volumes in less time, while working with increasingly limited resources,” said Marc Segura, President, ABB Robotics. “They are under pressure to move goods faster and with greater flexibility, while labour availability is becoming a critical constraint. As part of our jour-ney to more autonomous and versatile robotics (AVRTM), we have combined advanced vision, mobility and intelli-gence in the Flexley® Stack F712 forklift AMR, completing our scalable, AI-powered AMR portfolio.”

F712 is versatile, capable of handling multiple load types and sizes – including open and closed pallets, containers or racks- up to 2,000 kg and reaching heights of 8.5 meters.

The Flexley Stack AMR F712 joins the Flexley® Tug and Flexley® Mover in ABB Robotics’ growing Visual SLAM AMR portfolio. Applications include intralogistics tasks such as warehouse storage and retrieval, as well as line sup-ply, end-of-line handling, body- and press-shop and drive-in and light buffer in the automotive and industries sector.

Unlike conventional AMR forklifts on the market, F712 uses Visual SLAM to map and navigate its environment, eliminating the need for pre-installed infrastructure like markers or reflectors. The AI-enabled Visual SLAM supports the autonomous decisions required to operate in complex, dynamic warehouse operations with a market-leading positional accuracy of ±10 mm. Together with AMR Studio®, this shortens commissioning times by up to 20 percent and creates a versatile and reliable system that can adapt instantly when a warehouse or production floor layout

changes. Certified to the latest ISO and ANSI safety standards, Flexley® Stack F712 can safely operate at class-leading speeds of up to 1.7 m/s while loaded.

F712 is fully integrated with AMR Studio® and is VDA5050 compatible, enabling seamless integration with ABB Robotics’ Visual SLAM AMRs and existing systems within a unified project. This makes it easy to manage complex projects and integrate different types of mobile robots. The no-code, drag-and-drop software suite supports rapid setup, fleet coordination, traffic management and real-time visualization, allowing ABB Robotics’ tugs, movers and forklifts to operate together in the same layout for scalable turnkey automation projects.

Major supply chain shock to leave global businesses exposed

Posted on by Will Priestman

Half of global (51%) CEOs say their businesses could not maintain their day-to-day operations for over three weeks without experiencing some form of disruption if a major supply chain shock occurred tomorrow according to those surveyed for new research from Proxima.

Proxima’s Global Supply Chain Resilience Outlook, based on a survey of over 500 CEOs at businesses generating over $500m in annual revenue across the UK, USA, Australia, Singapore and Germany, finds that in order to guarantee supply chain resilience, almost three quarters (72%) of CEOs would accept an uplift of more than 10% on their current third-party supplier costs.

When asked how they might fund such an uplift in their third-party supplier costs almost four in ten CEOs (38%) stated they would pursue cost savings measures while 35% said they would pass price rises on to customers. A smaller number (26%) said they need to absorb the costs through reduced margins.

The vast majority of CEOs surveyed (78%) also alluded to the internal tensions that can arise in large global companies when it comes to adopting and implementing fast-moving technologies such as AI, while also staying adherent to business compliance practices.

Backing this risk averse approach up was the statistic that nearly half (45%) of businesses have experienced a supply chain disruption caused by a cyber incident in the last 24 months.

Further key findings from the Proxima Global Supply Chain Resilience Outlook include:

  • 17.3% is the mean uplift in costs that CEOs will accept to ensure supply chain resilience.
  • The majority (56%) of CEOs say that if their top three suppliers were disrupted for two weeks, 11-20% of their revenue would be at risk. Almost a quarter (24%) put the risk at 21-40% of revenue.
  • Over half of CEOs surveyed (51%) say AI is delivering measurable value in supplier risk monitoring – yet they also say there are barriers in further scaling AI use in the supply chain including data quality (38%), lack of skills (30%) and clarity around ROI (29%).
  • Nearly half (45%) of businesses have experienced a supply chain disruption caused by a cyber incident in the past 24 months, but only 35% have real-time visibility into the cyber risk of their critical suppliers.

Simon Geale, Executive Vice President at Proxima, said:

It is no secret that businesses are navigating a period of intense supply chain uncertainty. This research shows that CEOs are still very alert to disruption risk and that they are placing an increasing emphasis on building sustainable supply chain resilience to counteract.

CEOs are further recognising the substantial costs and vulnerabilities their companies could face from supply chain disruption, and it is now clear many are willing to pay a premium to guard against that risk. Resilience has become a boardroom topic and a price worth paying.

The report also finds that CEOs are facing a multitude of threats with roughly an equal number (17%-22%) saying conflict and geopolitical tensions, emerging technologies, sustainability targets and regulatory requirements, climate change and extreme weather events, and protectionist policies such as tariffs pose the greatest financial challenge to their supply chains.

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