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4-way pallet shuttle system
The "tiger" among pallet shuttle systems currently comes from Moffett, a company based in Monaghan, Ireland. SSI Schäfer has now entered into a partnership with the automation provider to combine its 4-way shuttle technology with SSI Schäfer's global integration expertise.
After Christmas is before Christmas
During peak seasons – such as Christmas – error-free, rapid order picking is crucial to meeting delivery deadlines. Modern pick-by-light systems allow for flexible adaptation and can be easily combined with simple solutions, such as order picking carts.
Fresh courage in the new Academy
With its ambitious sustainability goals, Galliker is considered a role model in the transport industry. In this interview, Corinne Galliker explains the upcoming appearance at "Logistics & Automation" in Bern and why people will continue to be the focus of the new Galliker Academy World.
New concept in the telecommunications sector
The food retailer Axfood and Witron have built an omnichannel distribution center in Bålsta, Sweden , from which more than 1500 branches, thousands of end customers via Click + Collect and home delivery are served with over 22,000 dry, fresh and frozen items.
Continuity in the Kion board
The Supervisory Board of the Kion Group (Linde MH, Still, Baoli, etc.) has extended the term of office of Chief Financial Officer Christian Harm until 2029. "Since 2023, he has driven forward key projects," said Supervisory Board Chairman Mohsen Sohi, "and made a significant contribution to the company's resilient development."
Change of guard at Swiss Logistics
Serge Frech has been successfully involved in the business operations of Swiss Logistics (ASFL SVBL) for some time now – and as of January, he has taken over as Managing Director from Beat M. Duerler. Duerler will remain President of the Vocational Training Association for the time being.
Flexible Automation in Bern
At Logistics & Automation on January 28th/29th in Bern, Dematic will present its flexible automation portfolio with solutions for new customers and for expanding existing systems, its autonomous mobile robots (AMR), AutoStore systems and pallet shuttles.
"Adjustments are unavoidable"
Zalando calls it "a difficult but necessary decision": the logistics center in Erfurt, Germany, is to be closed by the end of September. For more than ten years, 2,700 employees there made a significant contribution to the company's success. Now, restructuring is underway.
Fleet management in three stages
Forklift manufacturer Still, with its broad portfolio of in-house solutions for these situations, is calling on logistics companies at the start of the new year to operate their vehicle fleets efficiently and make the best possible use of potential savings. If necessary, this can of course be supported by AI.
Beumer expands production in China
The 90th anniversary of material flow solutions specialist Beumer and the 20th anniversary of its presence in China not only coincide. At the end of 2025, a new, state-of-the-art production facility also went into operation in Taicang, China, which is intended to expand Beumer's global production capacities.
Future Prize for Fuel Cell Trucks
Future Prize for Fuel Cell Trucks
A fuel cell system from Bosch, whose three developers Christoffer Uhr, Kai Weeber, and Pierre Andrieu were awarded the Future Prize for Technology and Innovation in Berlin on Wednesday evening , weighs around 4 tons less than a comparable battery-electric drive system. A decisive advantage.
Chr.uhr, K.Weeber, P. Andrieu (from left to right).
The award winners have developed a new fuel cell drive for heavy trucks that advances emission-free long-distance transport. In the fuel cell, hydrogen reacts with oxygen to form water, continuously generating electrical energy in the process – a robust and practical alternative to diesel-powered drives in heavy goods vehicles.
The core of the innovation lies in its consistent focus on the demands of long-distance transport. The one-fifth reduction in weight is considered a decisive advantage for efficiency, as it allows for greater payload capacity. Furthermore, refueling with hydrogen takes only a few minutes. The result is a quiet, emission-free drive system suitable for any long-distance journey, even in regions with extreme climates.
Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung: "We have done our homework"
“The technology is ready. Now we also need the political will to consistently drive forward the development of a high-performance hydrogen economy. (…) As an industry, we have done our homework,” says Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung. Provided they have green hydrogen in their tanks, the Fuel Cell Power Modules (FCPM) can operate completely CO₂-free on routes of up to 1,000 km with a single tankful of around 70 kilograms of hydrogen . The only remaining emission is water vapor. Bosch is thus making an important contribution to climate neutrality in freight transport.
Heavy trucks cause more than a quarter of CO₂ emissions from road transport in the EU, yet they are indispensable for the transport of goods and merchandise. "With the Fuel Cell Power Module, Bosch demonstrates that hydrogen technology is ready for series production and can make a significant contribution to the decarbonization of road transport," says Hartung. "The combination of engineering expertise, experience, and systems understanding makes this drive system an important step towards sustainable mobility."
Photos (3): Bosch
Series production of the Fuel Cell Power Module (FCPM) actually began in 2023 at the Stuttgart- Feuerbach plant, and shortly thereafter in Chongqing, China. With more than a thousand individual parts, the FCPM is one of the most complex systems in Bosch's almost 140-year history – and at the same time, one of the most groundbreaking. From the stack and the recirculation pump to the air compressor, all key components are developed and manufactured in-house.
The drive module itself can be installed where the combustion engine was previously located. Instead of diesel tanks, pressurized hydrogen tanks are used. Refueling times are comparable, at around 15 minutes.
Valuable development data
According to Bosch, several thousand trucks worldwide are already equipped with Bosch's FCPM (Field Power Module). The modules in the field generate valuable development data: many systems exist both physically in the vehicle and as digital twins in the virtual realm. Parameters such as temperature, pressure, and wear can be continuously monitored and directly incorporated into the development of the next generation of drive systems. FCPM technology is not limited to trucks; it can also be used to implement drives for buses or marine applications.
Furthermore, data centers can be supplied with decentralized, CO₂-free electricity. In PEM electrolysis stacks (PEM = proton exchange membrane), which operate on the reverse principle, Bosch also uses the technology to produce hydrogen from water and electricity – another important component in the hydrogen value chain. Following the market launch of its electrolysis commissioned its first electrolyzer with its own electrolysis
Christoffer Uhr is Head of Fuel Cell and Electrolysis Development at Bosch, Kai Weeber is Portfolio Manager for Chemical Energy Converters in Research and Advanced Development, and Pierre Andrieu is Head of Platform and Customer Projects for Fuel Cells. The prize, awarded for the 29th time, is endowed with €250,000.
Also nominated for the German Future Prize 2025 were «traceless materials GmbH» in Hamburg with its project «Biomass instead of microplastics – innovative biomaterials replace fossil plastics» and Carl Zeiss Meditec in Jena with a vision correction through a minimally invasive laser eye surgery procedure that is expected to be suitable for millions of people.
