They remain true to the concept. In addition to their enthusiasm for technology and smart material flow, they pay particular attention to people in and beyond logistics. A USP that is rewarded: This year, well over 300 participants from industry, trade and services came to Hamburg once again to listen to presentations on trends, innovations and visions and to take inspiration from the accompanying trade exhibition and discussions. The exchange of knowledge and experience was rounded off by the evening event in the former main customs office. The fact that logistics is ultimately always about people is illustrated by HLT's support for the Sternenbrücke children's hospice in Hamburg. This year, Takko alone donated 11,770 euros and Container Centralen 5,000 euros to this good cause.

The range of topics

The logistics solutions presented in the lectures included the challenges in intralogistics at AXRO Bürokommunikation Distribution Import Export GmbH. Julian Kabel, Head of Logistics at AXRO in Hamburg, explained how the office supplier has evolved from a wholesale company to a fulfillment service provider, moving away from the pallet business to parcel shipping. PSIwms from PSI Logistics GmbH has been used since 2015 to improve warehouse organization for 24-hour delivery.

What is the status of the much-discussed "artificial intelligence" in logistics? Maurice Vogel from the Fraunhofer IML in Dortmund used application examples to discuss the opportunities and risks. Chatbots are intended to serve as a means of communication between humans and machines. His conclusion: experts are needed because algorithms are only as good as the developers' understanding of the application domains.

How does a category manager benefit from negotiating in procurement according to game theory? Heiko Poggensee, responsible for the entire company car business at SIGNIFY B.V., world market leader in lighting solutions, sees increased power and opportunities in the selection of automotive partners.

Intralogistics 2025 - Prof. Dr. Michael Schröder from the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University in Mannheim outlined the future vision of a logistics center. The challenge lies in the change in the supply chain and customer demand. Solution: Decentralization of inventories and big data for predictive analyses. Result: Delivering before ordering.

"Trump goes Logistics" - Janka Herten from HAVI Logistics GmbH and host Jörg Hermsmeier from LMS Logistik Management Service GmbH explained the connection between logistics processes in the globally active HAVI Group and US tax law. The logistics service provider for system catering and convenience brands had to quantify all storage costs for the US tax balance sheet and had its employee processes analyzed by LMS in a multi-moment study.

KOMSA AG and AutoStore System GmbH - a dream team for the distributor and communications service provider from Hartmannsdorf. Frank Werner and Peter Bimmermann explained how this high-density, flexible shuttle technology achieves maximum performance and safety in warehouse logistics. This is supported by fire protection from WAGNER.

Inner-city logistics - a burning issue with a need for innovative solutions. Smart City Loop GmbH in Cologne has developed a transport alternative for the "penultimate mile" in the form of underground tubes for transporting palletized goods, whose smart solution potential was presented by Christian Kühnhold and Cologne's former mayor Dr. Fritz Schramma.

Marc Ebeling from LIDL and Christian Grimm from Vanderlande spoke about the new AutoKomm picking concept for LIDL in Denmark. Even if it is both an opportunity and a burden, in their experience, highly automated order picking in retail logistics clearly creates added value.

Sebastian Langen from CHEP spoke about transport collaboration as a sustainable optimization option along the value chain. Collaboration is the best option for dealing with the challenges of logistics. The better networked you are, the more efficient you are. Good for business and the entire planet.

Thies Beinke from the BIBA Bremen Institute of Production and Logistics illustrated the extent to which robots are revolutionizing container unloading. The interactive robotic system primarily improves the working conditions of employees and is also an alternative for missing workers.

Rhea Langkammer from Still was also involved in Automation Success. Together with KION Group sister company DEMATIC, the company has automated the new European distribution center for CASA International in Belgium. The investment in high-performance logistics was made with a view to future challenges in the omnichannel market.

Finally, futurologist Lars Thomsen took a look into the crystal ball and spoke about logistics in the year 2030, outlining factors that will be relevant for people's lives, work and transportation. It is important to recognize what is coming at an early stage, because we know: If a trend becomes obvious, you are too late!

In any case, the next HLT next year is already on the cards: The 18th Hamburg Logistics Days are scheduled for February 12/13, 2020.