Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wimmer, Onuora Ogbukagu and Matthias Fischer (f. l. t. r.)Hannover.

　　"We know that the market is searching for answers and guidance, and it's our job to share our experience. Today's new ideas are much more oriented around technology, rather than hardware, which is why we will be presenting our stories in hall 4, alongside other technology leading exhibitors, rather than occupying the traditional truck pavilions where we have been in recent years" comments Matthias Fischer, President and CEO, Toyota Material Handling Europe.

　　At the upcoming HANNOVER MESSE (20–24 April 2020), some 6,000 companies from all around the world will present a broad array of industrial products and solutions. The innovations on display will include a wealth of logistics solutions from multiple backgrounds, distributed across several display categories. Among the providers of these solutions are such names as Autostore, Hänel, Metalsistim, STILL, Toyota Materials Handling, Sick, Siemens, SEW, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Oracle, PSI, SAP, Software AG and viastore systems. They will highlight the benefits of digitalization and present solutions for the digital management and control of tomorrow's logistics processes. Small IT firms will also be there thanks to an IT group pavilion that puts HANNOVER MESSE within their financial reach. The pavilion is an excellent opportunity for these firms to position their IT offerings amid the broader international and industrial landscape of HANNOVER MESSE.

　　Next year, for the first time, HANNOVER MESSE will also feature a dedicated speaking platform for providers of logistics services. Organized in partnership with the German logistics journal DVZ, the platform will be known as the CAMP Logistics. It will be located in Hall 4 and include a dedicated presentation forum where industry experts will discuss a range of highly topical supply chain issues, such as blockchain, green energy, drones, low-cost sensor solutions for warehouses, big data analytics and risk assessment, and startups in logistics, to name but a few.

　　Spotlight on the future of logistics at the Logistics Forum

　　Then there is the Logistics Forum in Hall 2 with its five-day program of quality discussion on such topics as the platform economy, artificial intelligence, disruptive business models, drones, automated guided vehicles and innovative strategies in logistics for trade and commerce. "Many of the topics discussed at the forum are of relevance for industry generally, and not just logistics. The platform economy is a case in point," Ogbukagu said. "Many industrial companies at the SME end of the spectrum are concerned at the risk of platform solutions being developed by providers from outside of their industry and are therefore working to develop their own platform solutions."

　　Another forum topic of relevance to all industries and hence all areas of HANNOVER MESSE is the use of artificial intelligence in logistics. The potential is enormous, and many experts believe that logistics will be the first industry in which AI achieves widespread penetration.

　　Robotics – in the broad sense of classic robots, cobots and automated guided vehicle systems – is another increasingly important factor in the logistics industry.

　　And then, of course, there's data security – a primary concern for all companies involved in the supply chain. In today's production landscape, data needs to be shared between manufacturers, logistics providers and end customers. It is therefore vital to ensure that shared data repositories are standardized and secure, so that all companies involved can have confidence that their data will be used only for the purposes that they have authorized.

　　Deutsche Messe's content partners for the Logistics Forum are the German Logistics Association (BVL), the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (Fraunhofer IML), and the materials handling systems, intralogistics and software associations affiliated with the German Engineering Federation (VDMA).

　　IFOY Award presentation ceremony

　　The IFOY Award will be presented during HANNOVER MESSE on Monday 20 April 2020. Awards will be given for the best intralogistics products and solutions in a range of categories.

　　Caption (f. l. t. r.): Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wimmer, Chairman of the Executive Board Bundesvereinigung Logistik e.V.; Onuora Ogbukagu, Director Marketing & Communications Industry, Energy & Logistics HANNOVER MESSE and Matthias Fischer, President and CEO, Toyota Materials Handling Europe