Thursday, May 27, 2010

DHL integrates, expands its Innovation Center

The global freight giant DHL, announced it has integrated its three-year-old Innovation Center into the newly established DHL Solutions & Innovations unit, which bundles all innovation-related activities within the company.

Located between the cities of Cologne and Bonn, Germany, the DHL Innovation Center introduced a so-called “hands-on lab” that presents developments, test runs and displays for customers to view and provide feedback.

Examples of these types of developments that can be viewed at the DHL lab include “digitalStrom,” an intelligent control system for electricity consumption, and CargoGuard Secure”, which secures shipments by means of an electronic seal, the company said.

“Innovations stand for progress and the future and the DHL Innovation Center is the place where the future of logistics takes shape. For three years now we have been cooperating with partners from both the industry and the scientific sector to develop solutions that ensure the long-term success of our customers,” said Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL.

Customer feedback helps DHL add finishing touches so they can be applied to prototypes before field-testing, the company said.

Another application on display at the Center is a solution that shows 24/7, real-time transmission of information on global freight status that includes the position and condition of shipments, DHL said.

Former test products that have gone to market include the DHL SmartTruck, in what the company refers to as “an intelligent delivery vehicle,” is currently in use at DHL Express in Berlin. The vehicle reportedly coordinates deliveries, integrates pick-ups, takes account of traffic jams and automatically charts the best route. Another product developed at the Innovation Center is Smart Sensor Temperature; an electronic device DHL says monitors temperature and other “external influences of a shipment throughout the trip and is especially suited to businesses in the pharmaceutical, life sciences and food industries.”


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