On 4-6 November, our team visited two supply chain and logistics tech events in Utrecht, Logistica Next and ICT&Logistics, connecting hundreds of exhibitors and industry professionals for innovation-focused insights and solutions. Here are some of our team’s impressions and thoughts post-event.
As one sips their coffee on the Oudegracht, trying to shelter from the wind on a crisp, fresh early November morning, it’s hard not to philosophize a bit about the fate of all innovation. This two-leveled “old canal” with its werfkelders was once a pinnacle of logistics technology. Today, it’s a convenient stop on the way to a different venue, where things like AI, robotics, and circular economy enablers are discussed. But then again, Utrecht seems to have always been about logistics – and making it smart, too.
This year’s Logistica Next coincided in time with ICT&Logistics – a sibling event more focused on software, which we as a custom software vendor couldn’t miss – and which gave us the chance to get a good perspective of what the big picture looks like for Benelux industry players. Thing is, purely software-focused events are always somewhat laden with preconceptions of what to expect from IT exhibitors, so there are topics not touched upon.
Here, though, with the hardware and software poles of tech balancing each other out, it is easier to see the proverbial forest behind the individual trees.
One of the big topics that was very much in the air across the exhibition venue was automation. In a certain sense, the entire industry is now at a junction where smart automation tech is no longer the prerogative of large enterprises: it’s becoming affordable, but also increasingly required to keep up with the competition and customer expectations.
Relatably to us, there’s also more differentiation in the corresponding automation solutions: more software (and hardware) is evolving along different lines based not just on what exactly is automated, but also in what context. Warehousing, picking and packing, compliance reporting, etc. are all different depending on the business that’s doing them, so the many solutions and ready products presented at the event were a clear sign of this trend.
The twin event also featured several interesting presentations, starting with Martijn Lofvers of Supply Chain Media discussing the recently developed mindmap for AI in logistics and supply chain. Naturally, AI being the “broken levee energy level” trend that it is, there’s a certain level of hectic with which it’s being adopted, so that it’s easy to get lost in the potential areas of application. A big-picture look like that one, supplemented with an analysis of the underlying factors like regulations, geopolitics and labor situation is a nice coordinate system for what was discussed next, like presentations from DHL and multiple experts.
While the event is a distinctly local, i.e. European one in scope and audience, this is actually a good thing. Our team has worked with logistics projects across different locales around the globe, and the way logistics tech is evolving is really curious: different trains of thought and innovation serve the specifics of different macroregions and eventually come to supplement each other. While, say, the Americas or South-East Asia are mostly concerned with transportation over large distances, large-scale efficiency, and the like, the densely populated Europe, rich in regulations and ecological awareness presents a different kind of case studies in supply chain management.
Sustainability, smart warehousing, and conscious optimization are topics that are better handled at such events, brewing solutions that are bound to be adapted and scaled for other regions – the way some of the automation ideas come from the wider world.
Finally, a very pleasing aspect of the event is how minute the observations made there and the general approach is. Instead of throwing around dozens of buzzwords and generic considerations, the participants are focused on concrete problems they tackle with microscopic precision.
We’d like to thank the organizers for an impeccable venue and well-defined event concept, as well as the opportunity to network with a lot of colleagues and potential partners in the Netherlands and other countries. Working with custom software projects, we are committed to delivering tailored solutions for exactly the kind of issues as presented at Logistica Next – with creative boldness, openness to innovation, and endless attention for the details.
You can learn more about Lionwood.software’s logistics software development services here.
