Munich – How can logistics processes be improved through automation based on real-time and historical data? And which new business models are promising? Around 30 students of logistics disciplines, supported by professors and industry experts, pursued these questions during the three-day transport logistic think-a-thon. Finally, four groups presented their ideas to the expert audience.
The approaches developed directly at the fair included an innovative platform concept for generating valuable information from raw data for companies along the supply chain and the use of automated robots for delivery over the last mile. Furthermore, fields of application of block chain technology for safer supply chains were presented. The winner of the transport logistic think-a-thon 2019, however, was the idea of a team from Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, which helps to make better use of loading space capacities by means of automated capacity optimization.
The winning team of the University of Augsburg, HSA_ops Research Group for Optimized Value Creation, was delighted with the award: "It was a great challenge to work on this topic in such a short time. But we were able to profit a lot from the input of the companies and in the end we succeeded in combining the different ideas into one concept. And of course it was fun, too."
"Bringing together academic expertise and practical know-how in this very dynamic way is enormously valuable for everyone involved. The students are a key to success because they search for approaches beyond the boundaries of individual companies and within the entire logistics chain and thus develop new solutions for our industry. The successful continuation of the think-a-ton in Munich makes us very proud as initiators," says Martin Kraemer, Head of Marketing and PR of Jettainer GmbH.
The students of the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, the Technical University Darmstadt and the Technical University Munich as well as international students of the Erasmus program were divided into groups during the think-a-thon. Each of them dealt independently with the given topic. They were assisted by the supporters of the think-a-thon, Fraport, Bosch, DAKOSY and DoKaSch as well as other logistics experts of the 2,360 exhibitors at the fair. The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure was the patron of the think-a-thon 2019.
"With the think-a-thon, transport logistic has integrated the innovation format in Munich for the first time since its launch in Shanghai a year ago. The positive feedback from all participants confirms that the opportunity for creative exchange with universities and colleges and their students is an additional enrichment for transport logistic," says Dr. Robert Schönberger, Exhibition Group Director for the transport logistic cluster at Messe München.
