The Hamburg Logistics Initiative has created a logistic startup accelerator to support young companies to create innovative solutions for the industry.
Small autonomous delivery robots along the alleys, drones over Hamburg streets – the new logistics world looks as if it was taken from science fiction movies. Except that it’s not fiction but reality which will soon come knocking at the door of the ordinary people.
It will become possible thanks to the new initiative
Larger logistics companies from the North associated in the Hamburg Logistics Initiative along with the Hamburger Sparkasse bank will support young companies as part of the accelerator (Next Logistics Accelerator – NLA) which will push forward the digitisation in logistics.
The startups will receive funding of up to 50,000 euros. In addition to the cash injection the companies will be able to get a 6-month accelerator program with access to the town’s logistics network. The recruitment of startups will last until October this year and in January the first group consisting of 5 companies will commence their operation. There will be two logistics “classes” per year.
Startups straight from sci-fi movies
Among the concepts which deserve particular attention is, among others, FreightHub, the first fully digitised freight forwarding in Europe”. Ferry Heilemann, company founder, says: “In our company reserving a container from Shanghai to Hamburg is as easy as booking a flight. In just 3 minutes everything is taken care of.”
The founders of this startup created a special search algorithm, thanks to which client can get up to 200 transport options in just a few seconds. “Nobody has to look through lists for information”, stresses Heilemann. “Digitising the logistics industry will be the hottest topic over the next 20 years”, he added.
How FreightHub works:
Hamburg logisticians focus on digitisation
Werner Gliem, the head of the Maburg Logistics Initiative says that “everything that can be digitised will be digitised”. An example of this could not only be FreightHub but also service providers who offer “Same Day Delivery” who use IoT (Internet of Things), BigData, telematics or cloud-based solutions.
The large logistics companies present on the market are eager to use startups related to Warehousing, IoT, transportation and derivative solutions.
Soon it will be known how the ideas created as part of NLA will revolutionise the industry. We will keep you posted on the progress of the young companies.
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