The Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) and Dachser are extending their collaboration in the DACHSER Enterprise Lab for a further three years.
Their partnership will continue to focus on research and development projects with practical application benefits for the Dachser network. These include digital technologies such as data science and artificial intelligence (AI), real-time locating systems (RTLS), 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous vehicles, and adaptive warehouse systems.
"The first step in our joint research work in the Dachser Enterprise Lab is to gain a detailed understanding of new technologies and their potential for logistics. Then we build on that to develop prototypes and concepts that add tangible value for Dachser and our customers, turning them into innovations," said Stefan Hohm, corporate director for corporate solutions, research & development at Dachser, who will head the new IT & Development executive unit as of January 1, 2021.
"So far, the work we've done together has proven that we can transform research results from the Dachser Enterprise Lab into new processes and services throughout the entire logistics network," he added.
In the DACHSER Enterprise Lab, Dachser logistics experts and scientists from Fraunhofer IML work in mixed lab teams on various research and development assignments. The partnership between the logistics service provider and the research institute was launched in October 2017 and will now run until October 2023.
“Our research results up to now and our new research contracts show just how important applied research is for logistics and supply chain management," says Prof. Michael ten Hompel, managing director of Fraunhofer IML. "We're particularly proud that the lab teams have continued to work effectively despite the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. Of course, technical aids such as video conferences and collaboration tools have been a great help. But above all, it's the extraordinary commitment and motivation of everyone working at the Dachser Enterprise Lab that is key to successful research in challenging times.”
Fraunhofer IML is a logistics-focused research firm, composed of 315 scientists as well as 250 doctoral candidates and students and supported by colleagues in workshops, laboratories and service departments. Teams assembled according to project and customer requirements create cross-industry and customer-specific solutions, among other things in the field of materials handling, business process modelling, transportation systems and resource logistics. AI, smart finance and IoT are also among the current research focal points.
German-based Dachser is an integrated logistics company that incorporates transport, warehousing, and value-added services to provide comprehensive supply chain solutions. In Asia, Dachser employs more than 1,696 people in 48 locations in 12 Business Areas. Its Asia Pacific Regional Head Office is located in Hong Kong. The company uses its own in-house developed IT-systems.
