Editorial
Good to see you
The year has its very own rhythm, and spring belongs to the trade fairs. A time that gives you the opportunity to meet a lot of people in a very small space and get to know a lot of innovations.
Rarely has this been as important as this spring, when the mood so often fluctuates between optimism about rising stock market prices and falling inflation on the one hand and deep pessimism about a quasi-recession, corporate bankruptcies and a world that has become uncertain on the other. It is important because talking to so many people in person provides first-hand insights into the real state of the economy and where the undiscovered problems - and opportunities - lie. But it is also important because technical progress can also be experienced at trade fairs.
One major topic, that much is already clear, will be artificial intelligence. It is certain that machine learning is possible. But the exciting question is: what? What are manufacturers, developers and integrators doing with the possibilities of AI? What intelligence does an AGV need, does a gantry crane or a storage and retrieval machine need?
Expectations are high on all sides: logistics managers are desperately looking for qualified employees and ways to reduce energy costs. AI is expected to provide the answer. And manufacturers and integrators are looking for worthwhile innovations that they can offer their customers, which is also where the hope of AI lies. The trade fairs are the moment of truth: will both sides find each other? Is it worthwhile?
It would be good to see you in Dortmund at the Intralogistic test camp or at the Hannover Messe.
Yours
Daniel Schilling, Editor-in-Chief materialfluss
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