Campus Plaza and Exhibitor Stage: What does the future hold?

Artificial intelligence was a major topic on the Exhibitor Stage. Wim van Emelen, CCO at Customaite, an AI-supported platform for the automation of customs processes, presented the specific benefits it can bring in logistics practice. The AI tool is designed not only to reduce the processing time of customs procedures, but also to make them uniformly long. ‘The complexity used to vary depending on the product, as more data had to be collected for some products than for others’, says van Emelen. Only around 15 percent of such a handling process could be completed from the top of one's head. The remaining 85 percent would have to be compiled. ‘Thanks to AI, the preparatory part can be implemented much faster than before’, continues van Emelen.

The problem with implementing AI-based solutions is people. ‘They don't like to change themselves and their previous working methods,’ summarizes van Emelen. But practice makes perfect here too: ‘We have tracked the development at our customers and found that teams that work a lot with artificial intelligence use it much more efficiently and safely in the medium term.’

Cybersecurity is the human weakpoint

When it comes to cybersecurity - the main topic on the first day at the transport logistic Campus Plaza - people are also the most limiting factor. ‘There is no perfect security solution’, summarizes Dr. Robert Zeranski, CTO at software developer Dako. ‘It is therefore all the more important to involve employees in the process at an early stage and raise their awareness of the issue.’

In a study published in October 2023, the Bundesvereinigung Logistik e. V. (BVL) and IT consultancy Secida investigated the extent to which this is happening. ‘The results show that both the management of many companies and all employees need to be made even more aware of the issue of cyber security,’ says Sonna Barry, VP Business Development & Strategy. She also gave an overview of the white paper “12 key steps to becoming a Cybersecurity Leader”, which was written by Secida and published by transport logistic and BVL this year.

Charging infrastructure for e-trucks is growing across Europe

Registration figures for e-trucks in Germany and Europe are still lagging behind expectations. One reason for this is probably the fact that the charging infrastructure is not yet fully developed. Milence wants to change this in the future. The joint venture is a merger of Daimler Truck, Traton and Volvo.

The focus is on the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). It is designed to enable charging capacities of up to 3.75 megawatts. ‘The new standard for high-performance DC charging is specially designed for electric trucks’, says Roel Vissers, Chief Commercial Officer at Milence. At the sites in the port of Antwerp-Bruges and in Zwolle in the Netherlands, the charging time for electric trucks has already been reduced to around 30 minutes. ‘This puts us below the legally prescribed break time - and that is precisely our goal’, says Vissers.

In addition to the charging time, Milence is aiming for a comprehensive European charging infrastructure. ‘We don't just want to build hubs, we want to electrify entire corridors’, explains Vissers. For example, charging hubs are to be installed at regular intervals on the Barcelona - Paris - Berlin and Brest - Stuttgart routes.

Space-saving charging devices

Kempower, a Finnish provider of fast-charging solutions, is also committed to the electrification of heavy goods transport. In addition to high-performance charging systems, the company is experimenting with space-saving truck charging systems. For locations with limited space, such as logistics centers or warehouses, Kempower offers a so-called control unit that can be placed on ceiling portals up to 80 meters away from the power unit. A cable management system is then installed to output the chargers from above. ‘The truck can then be charged wherever it is’, says Moritz Vornfeld, Segment Owner Fleets at Kempower. This type of charging is already widespread in Norway.

The topic of “sustainability” is on the agenda at Campus Plaza today, Tuesday. (in)