Localization is a stress test for international logistics. The ability to adapt and offer suitable solutions will only make the logistics sector stronger. In the past, logistics followed the customer, but today the customer follows logistics, making logistics a competitive location factor around the world.
On May 6, 2021, the Förderverein LAG e.V. held an expert forum as part of the all-online transport logistic to discuss the extent to which the German logistics industry, midsized companies in particular, is prepared for localization. What are the challenges facing German logistics service providers? Should they position themselves even more broadly and aim for as global a presence as possible, or should they build up top-class offers locally that will attract customers from a target industry? The discussion dived into the trends of globalization and localization and explored how midsized logistics companies need to position themselves, where they should have a presence in the future, and where they need to maintain locations. More than 330 participants followed the online event.
Moderated by board members Holger Dechant (Universal Transport) and Gunnar Gburek (Timocom), the event discussed the opportunities and challenges of internationalization as well as the limits of regional procurement. Steffen Bilger, MdB, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure and Government Coordinator for Freight Transport and Logistics, delivered an opening address in which he highlighted the responsibility of manufacturers and logistics providers to secure resilient supply chains.
In his keynote, Prof. Dr. Christian Kille (University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt) emphasized the importance of small and midsized companies (SMEs) for logistics in Germany. Sustainable business models, high demands for performance and quality, and numerous innovations are all driven by SMEs. But in the area of digitalization in particular, Prof. Kille believes there is still much to be done.
In addition, the Förderverein LAG e.V. association invited Willem van der Schalk (a. hartrodt Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG), Jakub Piotrowski (BLG Logistics Group AG & Co. KG) and Andreas Schmitz (Schmitz Cargobull AG) to a round-table discussion, featuring interactive, digital participation from forum attendees. Three key points emerged from the discussion:
- German logistics providers are very well positioned globally, but local cooperation on the ground is also important.
- Reliability is a deciding factor when choosing a logistics partner.
- In the digital age, “local” and “global” are no longer opposites.
A report about the event can be found on the website of our media partner, eurotransport.de
