Editorial materialfluss MARKT 2018
With positive momentum
2017 was a good year for the intralogistics industry. The strong economy continued to fill the coffers in the year that is now drawing to a close. In many places, questions about where the skilled workers for the industry's ongoing boom should come from or which orders should actually be turned down for capacity reasons are more difficult to answer than the search for customers. "Et läuft" is what a Cologne native would say. That's right, I also spare myself the prophecies of doom that some of my colleagues love so much in their editorials.
Instead, the focus is on 2018, which will provide the final answer to the question of whether the industry really needs two large intralogistics trade fairs in Germany. The year will also continue to clear the jungle of Industry 4.0 ideas and nurture them in a positive sense. 2018 will also see the areas of production and logistics move closer together, and the expertise of logistics specialists will be even more welcome.
"It's on. That's right! I'll save myself the prophecies of doom that my guild loves so much."
However, the political situation in Germany, which was unclear at the time of going to press at the end of November, will play its part in ensuring that the industry does not get bored in 2018. The shortage of skilled workers, the public's unease about new warehouse buildings and their desire for "ordered today, delivered yesterday" logistics (as Wolfgang Plantholt put it so well in LT-manager 1/18) will remain acute, regardless of Berlin's power games. What will remain is also materialfluss, your magazine for intralogistics, issue 1-2/2018 will be published at the beginning of February.
I hope you enjoy our particularly comprehensive issue of materialfluss MARKT, wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Best regards, Your
Martin Schrüfer
Managing Editor-in-Chief materialfluss, LT-manager
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