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High destructive potential
As feared, the US tariffs are causing a collapse in tech exports. According to Swissmem, the resulting negative effects took full effect within seven weeks in the third quarter. Exports from the Swiss tech industry to the US plummeted by 14.2% compared to the same quarter of the previous year .
Swiss Logistics Campus in Zofingen officially opened
Numerous visitors, friends and the entire crew of the new Swiss Logistics Campus of the Swiss Association for Vocational Training in Logistics, Swiss Logistics by SVBL ASFL, found their way to the official opening of the impressive new location in Zofingen over the weekend.
Leading in intralogistics with robots
the International Federation of Robotics' (IFR) annual report "World Robotics 2025 - Service Robots," approximately 102,900 robots for transport and logistics tasks were sold worldwide in 2024. Sales increased by 14 percent in 2024. More than three-quarters came from Asia, and 11 percent from Europe.
"Organic" combined with high tech
High-tech and products processed from natural ingredients are not mutually exclusive. "Organic" does n't mean everything is done manually, but rather that it adheres to high ecological standards. This is also true for the organic wholesaler Weiling, where an AutoStore system has recently enabled peak logistical performance.
Ready for the "Great Leap"
Founded in Xuzhou in 1943, the Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG) generates approximately €13 billion in revenue with 13,000 employees worldwide. Its portfolio includes construction machinery, cranes, commercial vehicles, and a growing range of material handling equipment and port handling machinery.
Completely unmanned logistics?
Warehouse robotics specialist Geekplus is launching its new picking station "Geek+ Brain," ushering in a new era of warehouses operating entirely without human workers. CEO Yong Zheng " a major step from partial automation to full process intelligence . "
Start of the IFOY countdown
Applications for the IFOY Award 2026 are still open. The submission period is now in its submit products and systems for the prestigious award until October 30th
55 percent more orders
Revenue of the intralogistics specialist TGW, which plans, builds, and maintains highly automated logistics centers, slightly exceeded the previous year's all-time high of €1.07 billion in the 2024/2025 fiscal year . Order intake reached €1.5 billion, and the number of employees rose to 4,645.
With brains on the spot
Robotics provider German Bionic is presenting a new AI-assisted exoskeleton called "Exia" at this year's A+A – the world's leading trade fair for occupational health, safety, and ergonomics. According to the company, this is the world's first exoskeleton controlled by augmented AI with high levels of comprehension.
Train protection at Rochers-de-Naye
Transports Montreux-Vevey-Riviera (MVR) is modernizing its railway infrastructure on the line connecting Montreux to Rochers-de-Naye, offering spectacular views of the Vaud Alps and Lake Geneva, using Stadler's CBTC signaling technology.
SBB wants to save six billion
SBB wants to save six billion
SBB returned to profitability in the 2023 financial year for the first time since 2019. However, the pressure to save money and improve efficiency remains high, it says. Passenger transport carried 1.32 million people daily. SBB Cargo's transport performance, in contrast, declined by 7.5 percent.
The main drivers there were price pressure, the structural deficit in single-wagon freight transport, and the economic slowdown. SBB further stabilized the rail system in 2023. This was despite record passenger numbers and ongoing construction work on the rail system – last year at around 20,000 construction sites.
A further increase in debt was halted at CHF 11.26 billion (2022: CHF 11.44 billion). However, the pressure to cut costs remains high. To ensure sustainable financing, SBB, which currently employs 34,987 people, aims to reduce spending by around CHF 6 billion by 2030.
SBB Cargo claims to carry an average of one-seventh of Swiss freight transport, transporting 175,000 tonnes of goods for customers daily, thus reducing the burden on the roads by 15,000 truck journeys per day and the environment by 432,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Nevertheless, SBB Cargo Switzerland's 2023 result improved by CHF 148 million compared to the previous year, reaching CHF -40 million. This was primarily due to the impairment recognized in the previous year (CHF -128 million).
Fig. (3): SBB
SBB Cargo International recorded a loss of CHF 2.5 million in 2023 (2022: CHF -0.3 million). Transported volumes declined by 0.8 percent compared to the previous year due to the economic slowdown in Europe and ongoing infrastructure restrictions. Thanks to the passing on of cost increases to customers, freight transport revenues nevertheless increased by 1.6 percent. Cost drivers included additional personnel costs caused by the increased demand for locomotive crews and ongoing infrastructure restrictions in Germany (particularly construction sites and strikes).
In 2023, SBB overall returned to the level of the record year of 2019; increasing numbers of people are traveling by rail within Switzerland and to surrounding destinations in Europe, which is why long-distance traffic closed positively for the first time in three years (2023: CHF 117 million, 2022: CHF -47 million). Combined with the profits from SBB Real Estate before compensation payments (2023: CHF 281 million, 2022: CHF 269 million) and Energy (2023: CHF 78 million, 2022: CHF -165 million), this resulted in a profit of CHF 267 million (2022: CHF -245 million). The profit is encouraging, but not sufficient to significantly reduce debt (CHF 11.26 billion, 2022: CHF 11.44 billion), offset the massive losses of previous years, and finance future investments, for example in new rolling stock.
Thanks to the extraordinary commitment of its employees, SBB mastered exceptional situations in 2023, such as the derailment in the Gotthard Base Tunnel and other major disruptions, such as in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Renens.
SBB is an attractive employer and aims to remain so, even in the face of a shortage of skilled workers: By 2030, approximately one-fifth of the workforce will retire, and approximately 6,000 employees will need to be replaced. The railway is expected to continue its strong growth, with construction volumes increasing. Today, around 25 percent more trains run on SBB's tracks than when Rail 2000 was launched.
To transport more goods by rail in a climate-friendly manner, SBB, with the support of the federal government, aims to put freight transport on an economically sustainable footing: The structural deficit in single-wagon freight transport by SBB Cargo, which has been fully owned by SBB again since June 2023, is to be eliminated. Likewise, operations are to become more efficient with digital automatic coupling and automatic brake testing.
The "DAC+" pilot train not only tested the digital automatic coupling (DAC) and the on-board communication system, but also future digital applications such as automatic brake testing, car sequence determination, electrical uncoupling, and more. SBB Cargo launched the train together with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and industry partners, with the support of the Federal Office of Transport (FOT). The project's results will be incorporated into the further development of the DAC at the European level.
