b'SEPTEMBER 2025PROJECT CARGO23DHL VP on project cargos unlikely new customersUnprecedented shift as big tech companies enter oversized arena.By Luke King, AJOTJakeSwansonhaswit- of projects, he said.nessedfirsthandoneofthe mostdramatictransforma- d ataC entersd rivingtionsinprojectcargo:theg rowtharrivaloftechnologygiantsBeyondsemiconductors, asmajorcustomersfordata center construction and heavy-lift logistics services. batterystoragefacilitiesare The shift is unprecedented,generating significant opportu-according to Swanson, regionalnities for specialized transport headforthe Americasregionproviders. The AIrevolution atDHLGlobalForwarding.hascreatedunprecedented CompanieslikeMetaanddemand for computing infra-Microsoftbrandssynony- structure,whiletheenergy mous with social media andtransition requires large-scale softwareare now commis- storage solutions.sioningthekindofcapitalThesearenewthings constructionprojectsthatthatwerentaroundafew requirespecializedlogistics(CUSTOMERScontinued expertise, he told the Projecton page 42)CargoProfessionalspodcast in a recent episode.Jake Swanson, regional head for the Americas region, DHL Global ForwardingTheshiftisdrivenby semiconductorreshoring,arti-ficialintelligenceinfrastruc-ture demands and the energy transition.Technologycom-paniesthatmayhaveonly previouslyengagedwith logisticsprovidersforstan-dard parcel and express ser-vices are now commissioning capital projects requiring spe-cialized heavy-lift equipment and expertise.The transformation began with semiconductors, as gov-ernmentfundingandstrate-gicconsiderationsprompted major fabrication facility con-structionacrosstheUnited States.Withsemicon,its just a matter of filling a need that we have within the region and not being so dependent on Asia to supply microchips or microprocessors, Swanson explained. Theres alotofgovernmentfund-ingthatsavailable,and companiesaresourcingor expanding their fabrication facilities here.RecenttripstoAustin reinforcedSwansonsobser-vationsaboutthesectors growth.Iwastalkingwith Amazonandwithafew othersandtheyregrowing when it comes to these types'