Innovation center promotes advances in logistics

German mail and logistics giant Deutsche Post DHL Group is speeding up investment in innovation to foster growth and stay competitive in the global logistics industry.

The Bonn-based company opened a revamped innovation center in Troisdorf, Germany which has been designed to showcase some of the company's innovative solutions for future logistics business.

First opened in 2007, the center has been redesigned with features including low-cost sensor technology to improve the warehouse picking process and autonomous technologies to enhance logistics efficiency.

The innovation center is part of the group's plan to pursue innovation-driven development. Another center is being constructed in Singapore which will be located within the $100 million DHL supply chain regional center.

The company has already tested smart glasses and related software which could result in a 25 percent improvement for the warehouse picking process. It also examines concrete examples of self-driving vehicles across the value chain from autonomous transport to assisted picking in the warehouse to last-mile delivery, according to the company's executives.

The group is also researching and exploring business opportunities that could be generated by the technology of the Internet of Things, which will allow devices to be connected to the Internet. Meanwhile, the company is focusing on solutions that could facilitate the increasing demand of business and consumers for online shopping.

Frank Appel, chief executive of the group said the company is pursuing a customer-centric innovation in order to play a pioneering role in the global logistics industry.

Appel noted that one of the goals is to remain an industry leader by innovating products and services that customers need most and it is crucial for the company to strive to convert innovations into marketable solutions.