Archive

Cancel
  • © Fraunhofer IML

    The year 2017 was characterised by innovations and promising cooperations for Fraunhofer IML; but above all: by thirst for action. In recent months, we won new partners for our enterprise labs - Dachser, Deutsche Telekom and Rhenus - and thus set the course for a digital future.

    more info
  • Kaffeeplantage
    © Bluesky60 - stock.adobe.com

    The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) has launched the "Forestguard" pilot project to support deforestation-free supply chains as part of the Export Initiative for Environmental Protection (EXI). The Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML in Dortmund is working with the REWE Group and Schirmer Kaffee GmbH, among others, to develop an open source solution, initially for tracking the coffee supply chain. The solution combines blockchain technology with other technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and geographical information systems.

    more info
  • © Fraunhofer IML - Katsimitsoulias

    Food, car parts and building materials are continuously crossing Germany and the rest of Europe by truck. Each journey involves administration and there are also papers to be signed at various points. At least, that is how it has been until now. The Silicon Economy digital consignment note is bringing these paper-based processes into the digital age and, thanks to its open-source approach, is creating the first uniform solution for the whole of Europe.

    more info
  • © Fraunhofer IML - Michael Neuhaus

    With its reduced-infrastructure and automated logistics, the smart factory is no longer just a vision. It has long been a reality in the automotive industry and among its suppliers. Now, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML are demonstrating how simulation-based artificial intelligence can take the smart factory to the next level. With the highly dynamic autonomous transport robot “O³dyn,” which debuted at LogiMAT in Stuttgart, the future of material flow has arrived.

    more info
  • Not only climate change, but also the current worldwide crises and conflicts underline the necessity of concepts and solutions for the economical and efficient use of energy. Logistics has been a driver of innovations and models in the field of sustainability for many years. Currently, Lucas Schreiber, scientific employee at Fraunhofer IML, is working on a “Planning concept for an energy-efficient supply chain design” for his dissertation. This could solve many problems for industry.

    more info
  • The best time for store deliveries is at night. Congested cities finally want to capitalize on the opportunity offered by night logistics, but there must be some way to indicate reliably whether delivery vehicles and handling equipment are quiet enough. Fraunhofer IML has published the “Quiet Logistics Guide,” which forms the basis for finally getting night logistics rolling.

    more info
  • Logistics proclaims the Silicon Economy

    Breakthrough with digital platforms and artificial intelligence processes

    The silicon economy is the data and platform economy where people, companies, autonomous vehicles and IoT devices interact with each other. The term “Silicon Economy” plays on its proximity to Silicon Valley, but in fact it stands for a paradigm shift: the proprietary, i.e. manufacturer-bound, systems from Silicon Valley are being replaced by open, federal structures in the Silicon Economy.

    more info