“Hands-on” prototypes at DHL Innovation Center
Pre-series products are now on display at the DHL Innovation Center – which is visited by some 10,000 people each year. Located between the cities of Cologne and Bonn, the DHL Innovation Center has been extended by a so-called “Hands-on Lab”. In the new room the Group is now presenting developments for which test runs are about to begin. In addition, pre-series products are on display here which were designed in the Innovation Center’s own laboratory.
“Innovations stand for progress and the future – and the DHL Innovation Center is the place where the future of logistics takes shape. For three years now we have been cooperating with partners from both the industry and the scientific sector to develop solutions that ensure the long-term success of our customers,” says Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL.
One example for the prototypes displayed in the Hands-on Lab is “digitalStrom”, a solution and intelligent control system for electricity consumption. The “Cargoguard Safebox”, which secures shipments by means of an electronic seal, is another development shown here. Customers can gain first-hand experience of all these prototypes. Based on their feedback, finishing touches can be applied to the prototypes prior to field testing. Logistics innovations and sector-specific solutions that have been tried and tested in the Hands-on Lab and are already being used in practice are presented.
“It is essential for the success of our development work that we provide solutions which reflect the needs of our customers. We therefore have integrated the DHL Innovation Center into the DHL Solutions & Innovations unit, thus ensuring that requests from each DHL business unit and various industry sectors will be incorporated into the development processes at a very early stage,” explains Petra Kiwitt, head of DHL Solutions & Innovations.
Many products have meanwhile proven themselves in day-to-day operations. The DHL SmartTruck, for example, is an intelligent delivery vehicle currently in use for DHL Express in Berlin. It coordinates deliveries, integrates pick-ups, takes account of traffic jams and automatically charts the best route. The Smart Sensor Temperature, likewise developed at the Innovation Center, also offers potential for the future. This electronic device monitors the temperature and other external influences of a shipment throughout the trip and is especially suited to businesses in the pharmaceutical, life sciences and food industries.
