Logistics of the Future: More Intelligent. More Resilient. More Sustainable.

Despite all the hurdles, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in logistics is progressing steadily. In 2022, around 22% of German logistics companies were already actively using AI, with a further 26% planning or discussing its use. The possible applications are diverse: the scenarios range from demand forecasts, route and sales planning to the real-time optimization of transports and warehouse processes. Empty runs can be reduced, routes dynamically adapted and capacities used more efficiently. More than half of the companies assume that AI will soon find its way into logistics across the board. Compared to the economy as a whole, the logistics industry is a pioneer of digitalization.

“Companies that are particularly successful in digitalization are often linked by a willingness to train their employees and to invest. They cooperate with Research and have an overarching systemic understanding of logistics.”

- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Uwe Clausen

At the same time, the pressure for decarbonization is growing. The transport sector is responsible for around 22% of CO2 emissions in Germany, a third of which is attributable to freight transport. Sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have, but a regulatory and social obligation. Around 62% of logistics companies rely on digital technologies to reduce emissions and make processes more sustainable. The use of electric and hybrid vehicles, alternative drive systems in shipping and sustainable aviation fuels is steadily increasing. The global market volume for green logistics is forecast to reach around 1.5 billion US dollars by 2028.

“Sustainability is very important for younger generations.”

- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alice Kirchheim

The recent crises have shown how vulnerable global supply chains can be. Although many companies now consider their supply chains to be more robust than before the pandemic, resilience remains one of the biggest construction sites. While 79% of companies at least monitor the first tier of suppliers, only 14% also monitor the lower levels of their supply chains. There is a considerable hidden risk here, which can quickly cause operational disruptions in crisis situations. According to the FM Resilience Index 2025, Germany still performs well in a global comparison: The country ranks third out of 130 markets analyzed in the logistics sector, thanks in part to its high-performance infrastructure and economic stability.

“The comprehensive management of supply chains requires deep-tier transparency. This is where enormous data treasures lie that can be harnessed with the help of AI and used to build resilient and sustainable supply chains.”

- Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael Henke

These figures show: Logistics companies today are operating in a field of tension between cost pressure, climate protection, global uncertainties and a growing range of technologies. AI, sustainable solutions and resilient supply chains are no longer optional projects, but essential building blocks for the future viability of the industry. Those who invest today are laying the foundations for operational excellence, competitiveness and the fulfillment of social expectations. However, the transformation process is demanding technological expertise, strategic foresight and smart change management.

Fraunhofer IML is at the heart of this transformation. It is rethinking logistics: as an adaptive, self-organizing, ecologically responsible system. The strategic cornerstones of this new logic are artificial intelligence, resilience and sustainability. Not as separate lines of innovation, but as networked dimensions of the future.

“Resilient supply chains and logistics systems help us to cope well with increasing uncertainty caused by political, weather-related or technical disruptions.”

- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Uwe Clausen

The diversity of the Aulis modules reflects their functional depth: the order agent administers production and transport orders and integrates with ERP, WMS and MES systems. The routing agent plans time-optimized routes, while the optimization module distributes orders intelligently and efficiently. Vehicle agents translate control commands for different robot models. And the user interface module visualizes processes in real time – mobile, interactive, clear. The decisive factor here is the freedom to choose where Aulis is operated – in the cloud, on edge systems or on-premises - in the spirit of sovereign data management.

While Aulis focuses on internal processes, SKALA looks at inter-company data flows (p. 34). The project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Digitalization and Government Modernization (BMDS), aims to combine AI and blockchain technology to create a trustworthy, open infrastructure forthe value chains of tomorrow. The focus is on the  transparent, secure and at the same time sovereign sharing of data – from traceability along the supply chain to smart contracts and the digitalization of document flows. Open source-based software modules give SMEs in particular access to technological excellence without having to tie themselves to proprietary providers.

A similar openness also characterizes the Omnistics platform (p. 40). It stands for low-threshold access to artificial intelligence – especially for companies without a fully developed IT infrastructure. As an AI-as-a-service toolkit, Omnistics offers various specialized applications: Capcast for precise capacity forecasts, Pretime for predicting multimodal arrival times, LoOmni-Chat as an intelligent voice and knowledge assistant or Frostimate for calculating market-driven freight rates. All modules are based on trained AI models and can be flexibly ported to your own hardware or connected via open interfaces. In this way, digitalization becomes a tool rather than a hurdle.

“The basis for resilient and sustainable logistics systems are fully digitalized business processes, because this makes it possible to determine the actual situation, define a target state and continuously monitor the path to it.“ 

- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alice Kirchheim

With the Silicon Economy and related initiatives, Fraunhofer IML is therefore driving the transformation of supply chains into platform-based value creation systems. Data is not collected in isolation, but shared, processed and evaluated along standardized protocols in real time – with full protection of data sovereignty and security. These platform strategies enable seamless process chains between manufacturers, logistics service providers and customers, transparent CO2 balance sheets for every transport route, automated contract processing based on smart contracts and more resilient decision-making processes thanks to digital redundancies.

A core requirement for this platform logic is semantic interoperability – i.e. the understanding of data across system boundaries. Fraunhofer IML is developing standardized data models for logistics objects, semantic translation layers, tools to ensure data quality and open reference architectures that enable SMEs in particular to access the platform world. The technological highlight lies in the balance between openness, security and functionality – this is the only way to turn platform logistics into a sustainable infrastructure.

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed just how vulnerable global and regional supply systems are to crises. The “ResKriVer”  project, which is being run by Fraunhofer IML together with partners from research, administrative staff and healthcare logistics, aims to develop a digitally supported platform for crisis preparedness and response (p. 32). The focus is on recording requirements and inventories in real time, prioritizing the allocation of scarce goods with the help of AI, visualizing available transport resources and supply bottlenecks and developing scenarios for preventive resilience measures.

One of the most powerful foundations for resilient networks is the development of digital twins of logistics systems. Fraunhofer IML has a broad project base on this topic – including in cooperation with partners from the automotive, chemical, food supply and logistics service sectors. Digital twins make it possible to simulate supply chain disruptions such as interruptions in Asia or shifts in demand in Europe, analyze vulnerabilities and single-source dependencies, test alternative logic and transport paths and thus develop robust system architectures. In combination with AI, predictive, selfadapting systems are created that learn from real-time data and automatically reconfigure themselves if necessary.

The supply chain engineering research strategy being developed at Fraunhofer IML replaces thinking in terms of rigid chains with a concept of dynamic, reconfigurable value creation networks. This includes the modular structuring of supply chains with built-in alternatives and redundancies, continuous real-time monitoring of critical paths and the integration of decentralized manufacturing and storage units such as 3D printing centers or urban micro-hubs. Resilience thus becomes a system quality – economically viable, technologically sound and socially responsible.

“Only resilient supply chains are economically successful and therefore sustainable”

- Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael Henke

As part of the EU Green Deal and the Circular Economy Regulation, the digital product passport is becoming a central tool for Sustainability and traceability. Fraunhofer IML is working on technological foundations and practicable standards to document the carbon footprint and material composition over the entire life cycle of a product. In addition, information on reparability, origin or recycling options can be systematically stored. Manufacturers, retailers, logistics providers and waste disposal companies are networked via a common data platform. The digital product passport is therefore not just a regulatory obligation, but also a strategic tool for making sustainable decisions.

“If consumers demand sustainable products and sustainable business practices, they will prevail. And part of my job is to create this awareness among consumers.“

- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alice Kirchheim

Fraunhofer IML is also involved in numerous initiatives for emission-free urban logistics. These include the integration of autonomous delivery vehicles in urban micro-depots as well as the coupling of hydrogen infrastructure with multimodal transshipment points. In addition, platforms for ecologically optimized route planning are being developed. The combination of AI, sensors and a sustainable transport strategy is creating intelligent ecological logistics that combines economic efficiency, environmental protection and quality of life.

There is also a need for information on the implementation of the EU Anti-Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). However, companies often lack sufficient, reliable and tamper-proof data from their supply chains. The ForestGuard project (discover logistics reported in issue #25) is developing a practice-oriented, scalable open-source solution that enables digital verification by combining various technologies such as blockchain and distributed ledger technology. In the pilot project, the application was tested using the example of a coffee supply chain, whereby stakeholders along the entire chain can store tamper-proof data such as geodata, proof of ownership and freedom from deforestation. This information serves importers, among others, as a basis for due diligence declarations to the EU information system and facilitates the documentation and tracking of production and logistics processes. Smallholder producers in particular benefit from the improved administrative staff of their cultivated areas and crop yields. ForestGuard also offers functions for risk assessment, reporting and compliance with regulatory requirements in accordance with Article 9 of the EUDR. The open-source release of the tool took place at the end of January 2025 by Fraunhofer IML, the project was realized with partners such as REWE, Schirmer Kaffee and a coffee cooperative in Peru. In addition to the project results, the potential of digital transparency solutions for sustainable, social and ecological improvements in global supply chains was also discussed at the closing event.

A unique selling point of Fraunhofer IML is the consistent combination of basic research with practical application. In the institute's research halls and labs, new technologies are tested, adapted and industrialized in real environments. This is where demonstrators for autonomous material flow systems, AI-supported transport planning, networked human-machine interactions, sustainable packaging solutions and digital proof of delivery are created. Companies can not only test, but also co-develop – directly on site, interdisciplinary and with scientific support. The labs are thereforemore than just technology showrooms: they act as catalysts for transformation capability. After all, new technologies are often difficult to grasp, especially for SMEs. Fraunhofer IML therefore creates low-threshold demonstrators that allow use cases to be experienced in a practical way – such as a digital transport register with automated CO2 balancing, a modular AI stack for real-time shipment tracking or a digital twin of an urban handling system. The aim is to create trust in technologies – through transparency, shareholdings and concrete application proximity.

“Sustainability remains a requirement for logistics, for which we offer good solutions.”

- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Uwe Clausen

At Fraunhofer IML, openness to technology also means creating access.SMEs in particular need solutions that are connectable –  technically, organizationally and culturally. Fraunhofer IML offers support with technology transfer, further education formats such as summer schools and future skills training, participative innovation workshops and tool-based guidance for the introduction of AI, the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital twins.

Last but not least, Fraunhofer IML places people at the center of the transformation. The focus is on adaptive assistance systems that support employees in complex environments, ergonomically designed human-technology interfaces and participatory design processes in which employees themselves are actively involved in the development of new solutions. The vision is logistics that grows with people rather than against them – inclusive, flexible and meaningfully digital.

Aulis, SKALA, Omnistics and the other projects mentioned are not individual initiatives. They are part of a systemic ecosystem in which technology development, open source, standardization and social benefits go hand in hand. Fraunhofer IML is thus creating more than just functioning systems – it is shaping a new logic of logistics: open, decentralized, adaptive and sovereign. The logistics of the future will no longer be linear, reactive or invisible. It will become the strategic control instance of a networked world. It not only organizes the flow of goods, but also orchestrates information, energy distribution, resource efficiency, system resilience and sustainability. In the context of Industry 5.0, the EU Green Deal, CSRD, the Supply Chain Act and the EU Digital Strategy, it is also becoming clear that logistics is no longer a purely operational area – it is becoming politically, ecologically and socially relevant. With its projects, platforms and partners, Fraunhofer IML is working precisely at this interface. It thinks of logistics not just in technical terms, but systemically – as an integrative component of a future viable Europe.