”Silicon Economy” − There Is no Alternative to Open Source

The components developed by the researchers range from digital consignment notes (eCMR) and preparations for EU-wide digital freight information (eFTI) to AIbased estimated time-of-arrival services, IoT devices and dynamic transport robots, such as the evoBOT® or O³dyn. Most of the components developed by the researchers serve as a basis for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in logistics or are AI-driven. AI holds tremendous potential for optimizing and automating processes in logistics in particular. Publishing these as open source and making them freely accessible also serves to drive innovation in the logistics industry, especially in automation and digitalization. Companies of all sizes have the opportunity to further develop solutions together and establish de facto standards. 

At the conclusion of this major research project, Fraunhofer IML, in collaboration with the consulting firm Deloitte, also took a scientific look at Silicon Economy research. In a study, the researchers analyzed all previous results of the research project and identified further research and funding needs. They also derived further recommendations for action to continue to drive forward the digitalization of logistics.

Five fields of action were analyzed: Technology, processes, methods, incentivization and regulation.

Technology

Digital standards, such as open APIs, data models and process definitions, must be further developed jointly in order to create a solid foundation for digitalization.

Processes

An industry-wide awareness of value creation and collaboration in digitally networked ecosystems is required, along with imparting business model know-how and platform logic.

Methods

To foster interest in the collaborative development of open-source solutions, the economic viability and benefits of active participation by companies in open-source software development must be investigated and made quantifiable.

Incentivization

It should be determined which incentives, such as government funding, can support and motivate companies to engage more actively in open source development and, as a result, bringing the vision of the Silicon Economy closer to reality.

Regulation

In order to ensure not only the establishment of de facto standards via open-source projects but also a gradual transfer of research results into standardization procedures, future implementations of new laws and regulations regarding digitalization should involve joint efforts by public authorities, companies and research institutions.

After more than four years of Silicon Economy research, several milestones in the digitalization of the logistics industry have been achieved. The study emphasizes that there is still untapped and that digitalization and the resulting international competitiveness of the entire industry can also be driven forward by open source.

”In more than four years of Silicon Economy research , we have laid a strong foundation to continue the digitalization of logistics. Above all, we have succeeded in creating an open source spirit and engaging even major logistics players with it. That would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Our closing study strongly highlighted once again, that we need to stay focused now and make the right adjustments for the future, both in logistics research and in practice,” emphasized Prof. Michael Henke, director at Fraunhofer IML, on the occasion of the study’s publication.