Reflections from the Logistik & Transport trade fair 2025
Together with my great team of colleagues from IMI, I visited the Logistik & Transport trade show and conference in my home city Göteborg. The fair was a huge success with records both in number of visitors and exhibitors. Here are some observations and takeaways:
Robotics, robotics, robotics!
The exhibition was quite dominated by the robotics automation solution providers, from the larger turnkey solution providers like Schäfer, KNAPP, Swisslog and Element Logic, to more specialized players like KUKA, SEER robotics and Movu. The latter with an innovative ‘4D’ shuttle robot. I was especially pleased to see the demo of the autonomous picking robot Grab from Solwr, which we have integrated to at a couple of ASKO sites in Norway. The robot travels in regular warehouse aisles to pick and stack heavy goods like distribution packs of beverages using a smart arm and gripper technology. It eliminates the heavy lifting that causes a great deal of worker injuries in food & beverage and groceries.
Automation revisited
Both in the conference and on the open stage there were panel debates around the impact of automation, both from a competitive standpoint and from a user standpoint. While there are huge benefits in efficiency and ergonomics, the psychsocial aspects of automation is more and more in focus. Attention needs to be devoted to change management and involving the staff in the process to ensure sustainable implementations.
A newborn curiosity
I noticed a change in the behavior of the visitors compared to the last couple of years. A typical Swedish trade fair visitor browse around and avoids direct interaction unless he/she really search a specific solution. But this year they were in general much more curious and active to engage and ask questions. I take it as a sign that companies are getting more positive about the economy and willing to invest in logistics solutions. This goes also for exhibitors, where I saw quite a few automation and TMS vendors doing first time introductions to the Nordics market. The strong presence of logistics real estate developers is also a sign that it is a hot region. Even Bentley, a large American company who specialize in infrastructure engineering was there to gauge the opportunities in the Nordics.
AI is behind the scenes
I would have thought that AI solutions would be more of a leading topic. Of course there are a lot of advancements in robotics technology with AI-based interpretation to navigate autonomously in warehouses, and Einride was there to show their autonomous truck technology. But when it comes to software for planning and execution, the latest hype is agentic AI that promises to automate all our decision-making. But the visitors I talked to are looking for better proof that AI will really give them the correct decision. Gartner talks about it as ‘explainability’, evidence that an AI recommendation is the (in some sense) best choice. Plus a general reluctance to ‘give
away’ their business critical data to 3rd party AI platforms. As software vendors, we have some work to do here!
Transportation is next
Many participants were looking for new ways to make their transportation operation more efficient, transparent and integrated. Investments in new technology and software is prevented by the battle between the large carrier networks who wants to dominate and even own the last mile, and the buyers who seek freedom of choice and better visibility. I see big opportunities to help the buyers improve in this area.
These were a few observations, and much more can be said. But in general I felt really excited about the energy at the event and innovations on display!
Pär Wetterlöf
Product Officer at IMI Supply Chain Solutions
