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Tag: logistics

The future of warehousing: automation, robotics and energy efficiency

Posted on by David Priestman

The rise of e-commerce is underway and impacting our high streets, even before the rise of Covid-19. Due to the pandemic, the shift from physical shops towards online spending has accelerated by an average of five years. In 2020, 87% of UK households made purchases online and recent statistics show that 70% now prefer it. Now, e-commerce is booming, and it is a trend that is here to stay, with online retail spending in the UK expected to reach £75bn by 2024.

So, what does this transition towards digital spending mean logistically for businesses? The race is now on for retailers and third-party logistics (3PL) providers to secure more warehouse space and capture a share in this growing market. As it stands, warehouse space has already increase by 73% since Covid-19 restrictions began in March 2019. In addition to this, Brexit also played a role in companies bringing their supply chains closer to home. It’s predicted that, by 2024, the impact of growing e-commerce sales in the UK could require an additional 92 million sq ft of warehouse space.

Businesses need also address speed and accuracy, with the average consumer expecting rapid deliveries of products that are both made to order and easily returned. Therefore, the pressure is on for businesses to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible to service a growing marketplace with increasingly high expectations – and all with fewer errors and at a lower cost to serve.

This is where technology is set to play a major supporting role, bringing fundamental changes to the ways in which warehouses operate. So, what exactly does the future hold for warehousing? Here, with some insights from the commercial LPG division at Flogas, we explore how technology and energy efficiency will be the driving force behind a successful, smarter, and more sustainable future.

The Internet of things (IoT)

The IoT broadly refers to the connection of devices and sharing data via the internet. In the world of warehousing, this has become an increasingly important driver in boosting automation. Thanks to the IoT, modern warehouses can be more connected, coordinated, and seamless in their operations, helping them manage escalating demand and run more efficiently.

IoT sensors give an object digital intelligence. This enables devices to communicate with other online systems in real-time and share vital data with warehouse workers. Businesses can use the IoT to connect their equipment, robots, drones, and pallets, while monitoring their inventory and even supervising employees remotely. The IoT is particularly useful for a real-time view of inventory and capacity. Businesses can spot gaps when they appear and make best use of available space. Meanwhile, customers can receive full transparency on package tracking.

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)

A fully optimised WMS can enhance a business’s productivity, boost efficiency, and lower costs by digitising its processes. It also helps avoid common mistakes like slow shipments, poor inventory management, or incorrect product details – all of which can be costly and lead to unhappy customers.

This software assists with an extensive range of key day-to-day operations. These activities might include inventory management, stock replenishment, order picking, labour management, and shipping. Ultimately, it gives an insightful and holistic overview of operations. As a result, informed decisions can be made. For example, an accurate, real-time view of inventory means companies can effectively gauge stock needs and avoid back orders. A WMS can even be used to boost productivity amongst workers, matching them to specific jobs at the right time, and guiding them around the warehouse in the most efficient manner.

Automation

Automation has become a key part of boosting warehouse operations. This can enhance efficiency, speed, accuracy, and safety. Over the coming years, all warehouse operation is expected to have some level of automation. In fact, automation is already a significant market, representing over $10bn in annual global spending.

There are lots of exciting emerging technologies on the horizon, and it appears that the more established, proven technologies will have the biggest initial uptake. Recent industry research reveals that 65% of warehousing operations are expected to invest in conveyors and sortation systems over the next 3 years. 56% will adopt shuttle systems, which allow warehouses to increase throughput and storage density. Even well-established technology – such as stacker cranes and traditional automated guided vehicles (AGVs) – are expected to see relatively high levels of automation adoption.

A way to help transport bulk goods quickly and safely, forklift trucks (FLTs) are a popular form of automation in warehouses. Modern FLTs are fast to fuel, as they do run on liquid gas rather than batteries. Therefore, warehouses with their own centralised supply tank can benefit from automatic top-up technology. This means they always have the power they need, increasing productivity and reducing downtime.

Robots

As we look to the future, robots are expected to take centre stage. In warehouses, robots can help operations become more efficient and productive whilst reducing errors and improving safety. It’s estimated that there’ll be around 50,000 robotic warehouses by 2025 with over 4 million robot installations. Robots are already used for a whole host of warehouse functions, from picking and packing, to sorting, batching, transporting, inspection, and security. Many large corporations are investing in these emerging technologies. As of 2021, Amazon has around 350,000 mobile drive units.

Mobile robots have been trending over the past couple of years. Among their many talents, they are particularly helpful for moving goods from warehouse shelves to fulfilment zones. They can also be programmed to perform duties traditionally carried out by conveyors, manual forklifts, carts, and towing machines. Drones are also becoming increasingly important. They are affordable, easily able to reach any part of a warehouse, useful for inventory management (working in tandem with barcode technology), and able to support workers with shipping and delivery.

Energy efficiency

Warehouses often have high energy requirements, from heating to cooling and lighting. According to the Orlando Utilities Commission,  energy costs typically account for 15% of a warehouse’s operating budget. Therefore, businesses are keen for warehouses to become more energy efficient. As well as reducing costs, this will minimise their impact on the environment and reduce emissions.

Renewable energy is set to play a major role in helping warehouses become more sustainable. With large roof areas available, they are already perfectly set up to harness energy from the sun with solar panels.

Renewable green gas will also be a key part of the future sustainable energy mix. Warehouses will be able to use renewable energy for heating or even to power their forklift truck fleet. Once it’s widely available, warehouses already running on commercial LPG will be able to switch to renewable green gas and become carbon neutral without changing any of their equipment.

Lighting is another big energy consumer for warehouses. Significant savings can be made by upgrading to more efficient LEDs, bringing in more natural light with skylights, and controlling lighting more effectively. For example, a warehouse could have automatic lights-out areas where human workers are absent.

Greener, smarter warehouses

There’s no doubt that warehouses are getting greener, and there are a whole host of other efficiency measures available. Energy management systems; cool roof systems; radiant heaters; high-volume, low-speed (HVLS) fans; green building materials; and measures to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials can all have a major impact. These green initiatives, married with the introduction of digital intelligence, have increased automation. This emergence of new technology means that we can expect a truly smarter, more sustainable, and more productive warehouse in the future.

Overall, the future of warehousing is technological. Warehouses will be digitally intelligent and able to communicate efficiently. For example, warehouse management systems might organise the daily activities of shipments and so on. Modern forklift trucks have evolved to rely on liquid gas, improving productivity in the workplace. Robots operate alongside warehouse workers to optimise labour and companies are investing in renewable energy sources to lead the way in sustainable manufacturing. How will you modernise warehousing?

New container leg takes the strain

Posted on by David Priestman

ConFoot Ltd is introducing a new container leg model to its successful portfolio of container handling solutions. ConFoot, an attractive low-cost option in a range of logistics scenarios, now has a 20t capacity CFU container lifting unit.

The CFU model has the maximum capacity of 20t (the weight of the container plus the content) and can lift the container up from the trailer, freeing the truck to drive away.

The container can then be lowered all the way to the ground using the manually operated hydraulic bottle jacks incorporated into the leg structure. Reversing the procedure, the container can be lifted up and back onto the trailer. ConFoot can provide a transport box to be fitted under the trailer, allowing for the driver to have the ConFoot container handling unit with them at all times in all operations.

Keeping in line with all ConFoot products, the ConFoot CFU model is light-weight, long-lasting and low cost.

The individual leg consists of four parts: the upper and lower tubes, the climber unit with the bottle jacks, and the support legs plus base plate. Lightweight enough for one person to use, the CFU model follows the ConFoot mission of providing the only portable container handling methods in the world.

Being a lifting/lowering device, the CFU model holds a CE marking.

Robust versatility

The introduction of the new model follows continued requests for this type of solution from numerous fields of industry from all over the world.

The CFU model addresses and solves several operational problems, including lack of space to use a sideloader or other container handling systems, the non-availability of such container handling systems, and the lack of infrastructure in general in the operational area.

These are much needed solutions in Europe which has traditionally been the main market area for ConFoot products, but are of extraordinary significance and importance in South America and Africa, where the ConFoot solution will be a de facto portable infrastructure in itself.

This means that the ConFoot CFU model will provide a vital tool for various aid and humanitarian organisations, doing work of utmost importance in very difficult and demanding circumstances all around the world.

ConFoot has ongoing discussions about the use of the new model in several demanding locations, both with direct clients and as co-operational projects with different service and product providers.

ConFoot Ltd is a Finnish company currently based in Espoo, Finland, with a distributor network in over 20 countries. Its products are all portable, reliable and affordable, and reflect the company’s core mission: creating value by reducing costs and streamlining the supply chain.

The other ConFoot products are the 34t capacity CF for general use, the 30t capacity CFP for loading bays and pockets, and the 34t capacity CFL models ( CFL28 for 45’ containers with an outward bulge in the container wall and the CFL55 for swap tank containers).

Garbe hands over Lower Saxony logistics centre

Posted on by Keith McKinley

One year after the start of construction, Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH has completed a new central warehouse for the hagebau Group in Walsrode, Lower Saxony (Germany).

The property, with a total area of around 43,000 sq m, has now been officially handed over to the logistics subsidiary of the building materials and DIY store cooperation. Its omnichannel and logistics activities are to be bundled in Walsrode in the future. Garbe Industrial Real Estate invested around €34m in the new building.

The logistics centre was built on a 100,000 square metre site in the “A27park” industrial and commercial area. It is located directly on the A 27 motorway. The Walsroder Triangle is located in the immediate vicinity. There is a connection to the A7 motorway, one of the most important north-south connections in Germany.

“The central location in the Hamburg-Hanover-Bremen city triangle speaks for itself,” emphasises Jan Dietrich Hempel, Managing Director of Garbe Industrial Real Estate. “In the current difficult times, which in the construction sector are characterised by irregularities in the supply chains and shortages of materials, our thanks go to all those involved in the project for their solution-oriented and constructive cooperation.”

The city of Walsrode also contributed to the quick success of the project by cooperatively facilitating the examination and approval by the building authority within a very short period of time. The project had previously been initiated by the Deltaland mbH business development agency, which, as the city’s service provider, had put the project participants in touch with the location.

Garbe Industrial Real Estate had prevailed as preferred partner for the project development in a multi-stage bidding process conducted by Logivest as the logistics real estate consultant and project manager commissioned by hagebau, and acquired the site ready for construction in November 2020.

A building was erected on top of it, which is divided into four hall sections, each measuring 10,500 sq m. In addition, there are around 1,300 sq m for offices and social rooms. The property is equipped with 40 dock levellers and three ground-level gates. In addition, the object has a gate for side unloading.

The tenant of the new building is hagebau Logistik GmbH & Co KG. It handles the warehousing, order picking and distribution of the product range, which comprises around 10,000 different articles, for the around 360 member companies of the building materials trading and DIY store cooperation.

“The Walsrode site will set standards and play a decisive role in our logistics strategy,” explains Gerritt Höppner-Tietz, Managing Director of hagebau Logistik. The property in the “A27park” will serve as a central warehouse in the future. From there, both the five regional warehouses and the construction and building materials markets are to be supplied. In addition, online orders are to be shipped from Walsrode.

“Numerous jobs will be created in Walsrode for this purpose. A total of up to 150 people will be employed at the site,” adds Höppner-Tietz.

Parking spaces for 122 cars, 20 trucks and 20 bicycles are available in the outdoor area. A photovoltaic system is installed on the roof of the logistics centre to generate renewable energy. Garbe Industrial Real Estate is striving for certification according to the Gold Standard of the German Sustainable Building Council for the entire property.

“We will transfer the logistics centre to our own real estate management and remain a reliable contact for our tenant even after completion,” concludes Hempel, referring to the corporate strategy of Garbe Industrial Real Estate. The property still has potential for expansion. If required, a fifth hall section with an additional 10,000 sq m of space can be built.

 

Panasonic announces 5G support for TOUGHBOOK G2

Posted on by David Priestman

Panasonic has announced 5G support for its best-selling fully rugged tablet the TOUGHBOOK G2. Ideal for mobile power users that require high-bandwidth connectivity in the most extreme environments, the 5G version of the TOUGHBOOK G2 tablet will be available to order from February 2022.

“As the roll-out of the 5G network across Europe continues at pace using the Sub-6 GHz frequency, mobile power users will be able to use the popular TOUGHBOOK G2 for next generation business applications, including support for local 5G,” said Dirk Weigelt, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Panasonic Mobile Solutions Business.

“Imagine ambulance personnel providing video briefings about a patient to doctors while on route to save vital time on arrival at hospital. Vehicle repairs specialists will be able to rapidly download truck operating systems, diagnose issues and upload new versions of the software operating system at the roadside – saving time and money on repairs by avoiding towing the vehicle back to a garage. All these types of services become a reality with 5G.”

The European 5G Observatory reports that as of October 2021, 5G commercial services had so far been deployed in 25 of the EU-27 countries.

With new additions including eSIM and future-proofed wireless communications capabilities for those in the field, as well as increased performance, double RAM and storage, Panasonic describes the TOUGHBOOK G2 as the perfect partner for mobile workers.

Equipped with an optional emissive backlit keyboard that includes an additional USB Type-A and Type-C port, the device can be used in multiple operating modes. For example, as a regular notebook, for presentations, while being carried and when docked at a desk or in a vehicle. With this capability, the TOUGHBOOK G2 is a superior successor for both the TOUGHBOOK G1 and TOUGHBOOK 20.

 

AUTO1 Group implements INFORM yard management system

Posted on by David Priestman

Within just two weeks, Aachen-based optimisation specialist INFORM implemented its Vehicle Yard Management System in Hemau, at AUTO1 Group SE’s first own production centre in Germany. The system supports the operator of the online trading platforms with end-to-end transparency of the up to 16,000 vehicles at the site, more efficient processes and an increase in on-time delivery. A rollout of the solution to other AUTO1 Group production centres is also planned.

AUTO1 Group operates leading trading platforms for the online purchase and sale of used cars, namely wirkaufendeinauto.de and associated sister brands, Autohero, and AUTO1.com. More than 450,000 vehicles were sold through the company’s channels across Europe in 2020 alone. To meet strong customer demand and prepare for the continued rise in importance of the used car market, the company secured internal production capacity for 90,000 cars per year at full capacity.

The first in-house production centre for reconditioning used cars intended for the company’s proprietary Autohero platform began operations in September 2021 in Hemau, Bavaria, near Regensburg.

INFORM’s specialised planning and scheduling software is now being used to further optimise and increase the efficiency of internal processes at the 35,000 sq m site. “Full capacity utilisation, short lead times, flexibility and operational robustness are key for us,” said Karol Niznik, Vice President Logistics and Production at AUTO1. “INFORM’s yard management system is a powerful tool that helps us to achieve those goals.” The system was implemented at the site within just two weeks. This was made possible through close collaboration between AUTO1 and INFORM and the INFORMs system configurability which includes a built-in business process modelling tool. A roll-out to other sites in Europe is being planned.

By digitising internal vehicle logistics, the responsible dispatchers and planners are able to always track exactly where any particular vehicle is at any given time and when it will undergo which work step. This allows the dynamic process to become more efficient.

“Usually, vehicles have to be moved and parked several times inside a yard. This is where companies can leverage significant efficiency gains by means of an optimised operation,” said Hartmut Haubrich, Director Vehicle Logistics at INFORM. “Transparency is a cornerstone for cost savings and reducing turnaround times. One example is that vehicles can be parked in an optimal sequence close to a car wash or workshop.”

Mathematical algorithms based on operations research and artificial intelligence are among the distinctive features of INFORM’s system. They are able to calculate optimised scheduling sequences in real time, taking company-specific planning parameters into account, and automatically assign tasks to suitable resources. “As volumes increase, optimisation becomes ever more important for us. With INFORM’s yard management system we now have several options at hand to support us on our growth trajectory,” Karol Niznik added.

 

GEODIS to open Dresden logistics centre

Posted on by Keith McKinley

GEODIS plans to open a new multi-user logistics facility in Coswig. The new facility meets the latest environmental and safety standards and is scheduled to be ready for occupancy in October of this year. The new logistics centre in the Dresden area is an example of the global transport and logistics service provider’s continued expansion in Germany.

The new logistics centre offers customers a wide range of services. These include inbound and outbound logistics, value-added services, after-sales, and return logistics, as well as high-tech services, for example, the repair and refurbishment of information technology products, as well as the assembly and software configuration of devices, right through to installation at the customer’s site. Value-added services, such as flow and transport management via the Control Tower and e-logistics and e-fulfilment services, complete the range of services at the new Coswig site.

In terms of traffic, the new logistics centre is directly connected to the A4 – Bad Hersfeld – Görlitz highway via the S84 and B6. The new building, developed by Garbe Industrial Real Estate, a specialist in logistics and corporate real estate will meet safety and environmental standards. For example, it is planned to line the floors of the two large halls with WGK (water hazard class) foil. With a photovoltaic system on the roof, GEODIS will be able to cover a large part of its electricity requirements.

Further sustainable measures such as greening the façade and planting 110 trees and 547 shrubs in the outdoor space will be an additional contribution to improving the carbon footprint, as are e-charging stations for cars and bicycles. Certification to the gold standard of the German Sustainable Building Association (Deutschen Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen, DGNB) is planned for the entire property.

“The new multi-user facility in Coswig is another step in our growth strategy. As a central multimodal transport hub, the Dresden metropolitan area has ideal conditions for fast and environmentally friendly transport routes within Germany, as well as to Poland and the Czech Republic,” stresses Thomas Kraus, GEODIS President & CEO North, East and Central Europe, underlining the location’s advantages.

“The establishment of innovative companies from the high-tech, greentech, and robotics sectors in this region also offers interesting market potential to expand our customer portfolio in those growth sectors that are important to us,” says Antje Lochmann, Managing Director of GEODIS’ Contract Logistics activity in Germany.

“As mayor of Coswig, I can say, on behalf of the city council that I’m pleased our efforts in recent years to develop commercial areas have been successful. This large and modern logistics facility is a new location in Coswig that not only meets today’s customer requirements but also sets standards in environmental protection with a comprehensive PV system and green façades,” says Thomas Schubert, Mayor of Coswig.

 

Prologis helps trainees find logistics jobs

Posted on by David Priestman

A Northamptonshire-based training facility is helping to upskill the next generation of logistics workers. The Hub, based at Prologis RFI DIRFT in Daventry, is a purpose-built facility, which is home to Prologis UK’s Warehousing and Logistics Training Programme (PWLTP).

After launching in 2021, the PWLTP is helping young and unemployed people in the Northamptonshire and wider SEMLEP area gain the skills, knowledge and competencies to find a job and build a career in logistics. In 2021, 96 local people completed the training programme and secured employment with local logistics employers, delivering a social value of £1.54m.

Among those taking advantage of the training programme, backed by Prologis UK and delivered by Goodwill Solutions, is Rachel Priest, a 28-year-old from Northampton. Rachel is using the programme to sharpen her CV and practise her interview skills, as well as gain important workplace qualifications, such as a forklift truck driving licence. She is supported by Right Resolution CIC, an organisation which supports young people in Northamptonshire and Peterborough leaving care.

Speaking about the PWLTP, Rachel said: “I’ve always been a hands-on person and the range of jobs available in logistics really appeals to me. The courses so far have been great and I’ve really found it useful talking about my CV and my skills. It’s given me a lot more confidence and I feel much more comfortable about applying for jobs now. Achieving my forklift licence is very exciting too!”

After progressing though the programme, where courses cover resilience and employability skills including workplace relationships, inner drive, CV writing and self-presentation at interviews, attendees are put in contact with local logistics businesses that are currently recruiting skilled workers. Many of these businesses are long-term customers at nearby Prologis Parks, allowing course participants to find sustainable employment, close to where they live.

Robin Woodbridge (pictured left, alongside Rachel Priest centre, and Prologis UK’s Sally Duggleby right), head of capital deployment at Prologis UK, said: “Seeing people progress through the courses and find employment is exactly why we set up the PWLTP. Businesses on our Prologis Parks need access to an employment pool of skilled workers and we know there’s an appetite in the region for jobs which offer security and progression. The Programme has had a very strong start and we’re looking forward to helping many more people build a career in the fast-paced world of logistics.”

As a sector, logistics offers a broad range of job opportunities; from warehouse and forklift truck operatives, through to customer service advisors, automation engineers and data analysts. Across the UK, the sector supports 2.6 million jobs and is actively recruiting. During the pandemic, logistics employees were given key worker status, due to the importance of their roles and recent research conducted by Prologis UK shows that 1 in 2 people believe that logistics workers are perceived more positively now than before the pandemic.

Girteka doubles intermodal rail freight

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Girteka Logistics, the largest asset-based transportation company in Europe, has announced the results of its intermodal rail freight division, which carried double the number of Full Truckloads (FTL) compared to 2020, saving over 14.4 million kilograms of CO2 emissions throughout 2021.

Girteka Logistics continued growing its operational intermodal capabilities through the year, beginning to use new freight lanes throughout Europe, starting with the newly-opened Kaunas Intermodal Terminal, which connected Lithuania with Tilburg, the Netherlands in July 2021. The lane also connected the Netherlands with the city of Rzepin in western Poland.

The road freight company also began using two additional lanes in its EU network: one in Germany in an industrial area, going towards the southern tip of France, with another freight route connecting northern Italy with northern France.

Overall, the company doubled the amount of FTLs it carried compared to 2020, with over 16,100 fully-loaded trailers traveling on rail tracks, saving the environment of more than 14.4 million kilograms of CO2 emissions, as the FTLs travelled for more than 15.2m km throughout the EU.

In addition to the saved emissions, the company has also calculated that carrying FTLs on the back of trains across Europe reduced the number of tires that Girteka Logistics needed throughout the year by at least 900, as well as avoided at least 61 accidents on the road, based on the average numbers in the industry. The company says this further showcases a commitment to sustainability and road safety as the obvious first choice for its communities.

Furthermore, Girteka Logistics‘ customers have access to its fleet of trucks that are powered by the latest Euro 6 standard diesel engines, as well as the option to complete first- and/or last-mile deliveries by using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) or HVO100 fuel, further reducing the CO2 emissions of the whole process, as HVO can reduce the environmental impact to up to 90% compared to regular diesel.

“The impressive growth of Girteka Logistics’ intermodal operations, which now have doubled in terms of our capacity and our CO2 emissions savings for two years in a row, is no coincidence,” stated Pavel Kveten, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Girteka Logistics European Business Unit. “It is the result of the hard work of our colleagues, who have put their best effort in to not only make sure that we had a ready product presented to our customers but to also assure our clients that our intermodal offering will satisfy their need to become truly sustainable, as evident by the number of emissions that we prevented from entering the environment.”

The logistics provider noted that growth, in particular, intermodal rail freight services to and from the UK will be one of the main priorities going forward in 2022. Overall, Girteka Logistics plans to grow the number of FTLs carried by intermodal rail transport by 50% in the coming year.

“I also wanted to highlight the work of our partners who have ensured that our intermodal services were of the highest quality and allowing us to deliver trailers reliably throughout the year,” added the COO, noting that “even in the worst-case scenario, our fully asset-based fleet enables us to react and alleviate any kind of issues on a very short notice, which is a key advantage of our intermodal offering.”

IAA TRANSPORTATION to take place in Hanover

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Under the motto “People and Goods on the move”, IAA TRANSPORTATION will take place from September 20th to 25th 2022 at the Deutsche Messe AG exhibition centre in Hanover.

In addition to the presentation of new vehicles, the focus will be on logistics, transport and the digitalisation of commercial vehicle transport on the way to climate neutrality.

The previous IAA Commercial Vehicles is thus expanding the breadth of topics and exhibitors and, with a new name as IAA TRANSPORTATION, is becoming the leading international platform for logistics, commercial vehicles, buses and the transport sector. With its expanded event concept, it networks the relevant manufacturers and suppliers from the commercial vehicles, buses and logistics sectors with leading tech providers.

An important goal of the new concept is to focus more on the climate-neutral and technological transformation of the entire transport sector as an international platform.

“IAA TRANSPORTATION is the leading trade show for transport, commercial vehicles and logistics,” says Jürgen Mindel, VDA Managing Director. “Our successful concept for a corona-proof staging of IAA MOBILITY 2021 will also be used at IAA TRANSPORTATION in Hanover: The current registration status makes it clear that the concept expansion has been positively received by the industry.

“There are already exhibitor registrations from more than forty countries. The high level of registrations is gratifying and also underlines the exhibitors’ desire to once again offer customers a live experience with the new products.”

The new concept of IAA TRANSPORTATION also implements a combination of new product presentation, trade audience and expert exchange within the framework of the IAA Conference 2022. To give exhibitors and visitors the best possible exposure to their target audience, the IAA Conference will focus on different key topics over four days.

  • FUTURE LOGISTICS, with the topics of supply chains, trucks, rail & shipping integration, e-mobility and hydrogen technology in heavy-duty transport and heavy and light commercial vehicles, as well as technological and digital innovations for the logistics chain;
  • TRADE & LOGISTICS, with the topics last mile, inner city logistics, van, transporter, cargo bikes, delivery robots, digitalization as well as innovative solutions for retail, e-commerce;
  • INFRASTRUCTURE, with the topics charging infrastructure electricity and hydrogen, expansion of data networks, data management, long-distance bus transport, rail transport connection;
  • INNOVATIONS IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT, with the topics of bus, electrification, hydrogen, ride-sharing, ride-hailing, MaaS, digital networking of existing services.

Interested companies and associations can contact the organiser and contribute their concepts via email to info@iaa.de .

With the Last Mile Experience Area, the IAA TRANSPORTATION presents an innovative new hall concept. For the first time at a trade fair, a complete city backdrop will be set up indoors, within which the latest last mile solutions will be presented in application. On display will be the use of parcel drones, delivery robots, e-transporters, e-cargo bikes as well as innovations from the Internet-of-Things, data networks and cloud technologies, SaaS platforms and decentralised hubs.

“With the new format, we want to bring together urban planners, technology providers, food retailers and delivery services with logistics industry players, mayors and local politicians. Because only with intelligent, innovative and socially accepted solutions will we be able to create the growing demand for inner-city logistics and move toward climate neutrality,” says Mindel.

Presentation of prestigious industry awards at IAA TRANSPORTATION Prizes will also be awarded at IAA TRANSPORTATION in various branches of the mobility industry. The winners of the prestigious “Bus of the Year”, “Coach of the Year” and, for the first time, “Cargo Bike of the Year” competitions will be presented and honoured.

“We are in good talks with “Truck of Year”,” Trailer Innovation Award” and the “Van of the Year” and I am optimistic that in 2022 we will be able to present all of these awards in Hannover and thus give them the greatest possible attention. We are particularly pleased to welcome the “Cargo Bike of the Year” to the IAA. This clearly shows how multi-layered our portfolio is,” says Jürgen Mindel.

IAG Cargo boosts Latin American service

Posted on by Keith McKinley

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), has increased services to Colombia and Argentina from Madrid, whilst offering daily capacity between Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires. The business now services 17 destinations in Latin America from Madrid, London and Barcelona.

IAG Cargo has particularly increased services to Colombia, with 14 flights per week now operating between Madrid and Bogota (up on the previous 10), while the three flights per week schedule into Cali is maintained. It has also increased services between Madrid-Buenos Aires from 8 to 10 flights per week, and services between London-Heathrow and Mexico City increase to 7 per week (up from the previous 5).

IAG Cargo’s new service between Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires will enable the flow of goods between the two cities and the opportunity to fly freight across its network onto busy transatlantic trade lanes. All services utilise the Group’s wide-body aircraft.

IAG Cargo now offers capacity to nearly every destination in Latin America which it operated pre-pandemic with over 250 weekly services in total and all utilising wide-body aircraft. This service has proved particularly valuable to the automotive and manufacturing industries which utilise air freight between the regions, and to the medical sector.

The extra capacity also benefits perishable exporters seeking to transport fresh produce into Europe and the UK, an important period in the run-up to Valentine’s Day.

Rodrigo Casal, Regional Commercial Manager for Latin America at IAG Cargo, said: “These additional flights will provide a welcome boost to businesses trading between Europe, UK and Latin America. Additionally, we are delighted to be able to offer regular wide-body capacity between Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires, on flights that feed into London and Madrid.

“Our global network allows customers a gateway to the world, connecting automotive freight to assembly plants in Europe, or perishables onto the supermarket shelves in the UK.”

The news of IAG Cargo’s expanded offer in the region follows strong performance in 2021, when a new route from Heathrow to Guayaquil, Ecuador was announced and increased flights to Sao Paolo, Brazil and Mexico City. Regular flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico and from Heathrow to Rio de Janiero were also re-started in 2021.

Eligible customers seeking to book their freight with IAG Cargo can benefit from its loyalty programme – FORWARD.REWARDS and FORWARD.PLATINUM.

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