Innovation
Insights
TWO | 2023
Vol. 12

Content
STARTup terminal

4

Health Management at the Backbone of DB Schenker

5

Sustainable Terminal Bergen, Norway

6

DB Schenker Trend Report 2023

7

Schenker Ventures - Coporate Venture Capital

8

Remote Forklift Pilot in Hildesheim

9

Hager Group & NxtLog Collaboration

10

Scoping the Supply Chain Visibility Market

11

First full-electric HCT Truck in Finland

12

Mobility of the Future: DB Schenker tests automated electric Trucks in Public Transport

13

Schenker Ventures Launching its Venture Building Startup Axessible in Egypt

14

Shoe Swap - Let’s explore different Roles

15

3

Innovation Insights

Dear reader,
In a world where the movement of goods and information is
the lifeblood of global commerce, innovation is the driving
force behind eﬃciency and progress.
With the DB Schenker Innovation Insights magazine, we wantto take you on a journey through some of the latest developments at DB Schenker. In the following pages, you’ll delve into
the world of innovations that are paving the way for a moreconnected, sustainable, and eﬃcient future. Learn more about
the major logistics trends in the upcoming years, cutting-edge
technologies, and forward-thinking initiatives.
We invite you to be inspired by the power of innovation andbecome a part of this exciting journey.
Enjoy reading and always stay #hungryforinnovation
DB Schenker’s Global Innovation Team4

STARTup terminal

Launch of the DB Schenker STARTup terminal
Since 2016, DB Schenker has had a central team dedicated toworking with startups. To date, 4,176 startup solutions havebeen screened, 154 pilot projects have been carried out and63 have been scaled to standard operation.

In summary - STARTup terminal is the partner of choice whenit comes to piloting and scaling of startup solutions with theaim to digitize and automate the DB Schenker coreorganization.

Now DB Schenker introduces the new brand for the Global
Venture Clienting und Innovation Projects activities:

Success Stories
They’re the real-life examples of how cutting-edge technologies
of startups can actually automate and digitize logistics products
and processes. To see how challenges can be tackled and makebusinesses thrive, it’s not just inspiring – it’s proof that thisjob is done right.

Co-Headed by Ronja Stoffregen and Sebastian Schuhmann, theSTARTup terminal team translates business needs into clear
strategic ﬁelds for operation and startup scouting. They are
the ones to match startup solutions with the right contact personin the business and functional units.

Remote collaboration for on-site meetings
Avatour brings coworkers, clients, and inspectors on-site with
360° remote collaboration – for real-time communication.
Since 2021, DB Schenker has successfully offered Avatour to
25+ top customers covering more than 30+ sites in 25
countries.

Teleoperated electric yard-trucking
Fernride allows to remote control automated or manual vehicles
in the yard process using teleoperated shunting trucks fortrailers. It enables human intervention and assistance of thevehicle from afar. A ﬁrst pilot with live operation has been
conducted at a DB Schenker terminal.
Stay up to date and follow STARTup terminal on LinkedIn
More insights on dbschenker.com

5

Health Management at the Backbone of
DB Schenker
Digital ergonomics coaching for industrial employees
The demographic change in society makes it indispensable forcompanies to think intensively about the ergonomic design
and attractiveness of their workplaces in order to reduce thephysical strain on their employees in times of skilled labor
shortage.
In addition to automation of work processes, ﬂexible mechanical tools such as exoskeletons, and work organization measures(job rotation), intensive coaching of blue-collar workers is ofgreat importance to ensure a sustaining change process.
As part of the “ErgoMining” project, a team consisting of DB
Schenker, MotionMiners, and OTTOBOCK has developed digitalergonomics coaching for industrial employees. Using sensors,
movement sequences are recorded in two order-picking tours
and evaluated via a web platform. The training takes place inthe warehouse, under realistic conditions with typical articles.
Sensors on the employees’ wrists and belts and a scanner
provide the necessary movement data.

Between the two sessions, there is a detailed ergonomics
coaching by a professional trainer with transparent feedbackon the employee’s movement patterns. Using visualization via
tablets as well as tips and tricks from the coach, the employees
are able to reduce the stress on their musculoskeletal
system.
An important key ﬁgure is the so-called “Ergo Score”, assessing
the movements with the critical indicator method and a maximum of 100 points to be reached. The aim is to beat this scorein the second round. The ﬁnal discussion includes a certiﬁcatewith the achieved Ergo Score and illustrated recommendations
for health-conscious movement sequences. A training session
lasts about 30 to 45 minutes and can be completed individuallyor in tandem. The results of the pilot training showed that this
digitalized training was very well received by the employees.
Satisﬁed participants, positive evaluations, and an increase in
the Ergo Score - training can be both sustainable and fun.

6

Sustainable Terminal Bergen, Norway

DB Schenker expands European network with positive environmental impact
This past September DB Schenker opened a new terminal in
Bergen, Norway at the Flesland Airport. The 46-acre site ishome to a new 7,000 m² logistics center. With this new terminal we’ve increased our capacity and can offer the market
reliable transport products, not just on land but also within
our air and ocean Business Units.
Wolfgang Frank, Head of Land DB Schenker Norway, saysthat “The terminal in Bergen is a powerful part of our network.
We are pleased that we can ﬁnally offer our customers and themarket the best facilities for freight transport in the region.”
The terminal features several sustainable design elements.
Most notably the building and operations are largely self-sufﬁcient in electricity through solar panels on the roof. 20% of
the roof is covered with solar panels. The remaining 80% beinga green roof, meaning it is covered with grass and moss. Green
roofs can help reduce stormwater runoff and aid in temperature
regulation of the building among other beneﬁts.

The terminal also features charging stations for electric vehicles
such as our ever-expanding alternative ﬂeet. DB Schenker has
many alternative fuel vehicles operating in Norway, and weare continuing to increase the ﬂeet numbers with electrictrucks. Inside the building we have implemented LED lighting
which on average are more energy-eﬃcient and last longer
than other types of lighting. Inside you will also ﬁnd energy
and noise reducing windows. By reducing noise, we are promoting a better and safer work environment inside and reducing
energy by utilizing natural lighting.
With 75 ports over a 46-hectare area and a leading environmental design the new Bergen logistics center is a great addition to DB Schenker’s European Network. The site connects
430 land transport locations in Europe and goods are alreadybeing delivered to more than 38 countries every day. This isjust another example of DB Schenker’s commitment to ourcustomers and our planet.

7

DB Schenker Trend Report 2023

Navigating the direction of change in the logistics industry
At DB Schenker, we conducted a Logistics Trend Survey to
explore the forces and trends shaping the industry and how it
might develop in the future. The Logistics Trend Survey includes
20 trend statement proposals framed along the PESTEL framework. Based on the participants assessment in terms of relevance and business impact, the trend report aims to identify
the direction of change in the supply chain industry in the next
ﬁve years.
What does the report provide?
– Twenty trends evaluated by relevance and business impact(by 125 supply chain professionals, experts and academia),– Top challenges faced by the logistics industry,– In-depth look at the most relevant and inﬂuential trends.
General conclusions from the DB Schenker trend survey andreport conﬁrm the overall direction of change of the industry. It
is to be expected that digitization will also continue to ad-vance in the industries closely related to logistics in the coming
years. This will lead to increased customer demand and pressure on logistics service providers to deliver supply chain
visibility solutions like real-time tracking of shipments, alertingand managing disruptions and monitoring CO² emissions.
Anyhow, the top trend identiﬁed by the report is “New Work”.
The research discovered that mental health, workplace wellness
and work-life balance will play a major role in attracting new
employees. Only by tackling these aspects of work the logistics
industry will be able to become “Employer of Choice” in orderto face major challenges like global workforce shortage.
Are you interested to read more?
Visit the Logistics Matters blog to download the fullreport.

8

Schenker Ventures – Corporate Venture Capital

Schenker Ventures grows its portfolio…
...with Dexory
As part of the Series A funding round of Dexory, Schenker
Ventures secured funding for the provider of real-time visibility
solution in the warehouse based on robotics and data analytics.
The Schenker Ventures team believes that Dexory’s innovativetechnology which features ease of use, depth and speed ininventory data collection, has the potential to revolutionize
warehouse processes.
About Dexory
Dexory uses the synergy of autonomous robotics, extensive
image, and sensor data as well as powerful analytics and insights to provide complete transparency to individual warehouses of all sizes. It is connecting locations across the global
supply chain via the digital platform, DexoryView. Digitizing
physical warehouses provides the opportunity for real-time
management and performance optimization of intralogistics
processes. Dexory’s solution addresses the urgent need for
improved visibility, better space utilization and higher eﬃciency in warehouse operations around the world.

...and SQUAKESchenker Ventures’ participation in a €3.5 million funding
round helps the climatech- startup expand its strategic market
share due to increasing corporate demand. It also illustrates
DB Schenker’s journey to close the huge gap in emissions
awareness in the logistics industry and enable more sustainabledecisions.
About SQUAKESQUAKE is an industry solution that uses a single application
programming interface (API) to provide accurate carbon calculations to national and international standards and automated carbon removal and reduction along the supply chain.
They connect customers with global partners, including sustainable fuel providers and reforestation projects, and use
their network and technology to provide a solid foundation
for information-based and sustainable decision making for any
business.

9

Remote Forklift Pilot in Hildesheim

Material handling-as-a-service to improve warehouse operations eﬃciency
Even though the focus is on fully automated material handlingequipment (MHE) with many technological advantages, there
are always cases where human skills are essential to properly
perform individual logistics tasks that cannot be covered byautomation.
The solution of a remote controlled MHE, provided by thestartup enabl from Germany, is a possible technology to bridge
the gap between manual and fully automated forklift driving.
The forklift driver sits in front of a remote-control stationequipped with steering wheel, pedals, joystick and monitor
while controlling the vehicle from any location. The vehicle
itself, located in the logistics facility, needs a permanent connection to the network and executes the maneuvering commands in real-time. Whenever needed, forklift transports canbe booked in a material handling-as-a-service model. This canvary from regular use in daily operations to seasonal supportin times of volume peaks.
In addition to the commercial beneﬁts, this solution holds thepotential to redeﬁne and improve the working conditionsof forklift drivers. The driving station can be designed in a waythat is healthier and more ergonomic than a driver seat anddrivers with handicaps could be employed as well. The incremental introduction of automation to this technology, willallow assets to autonomously handle long and simple routes
while receiving remote assistance for the complex tasks inthe future.
To test this technology and identify use cases for remote forklift
operations, a pilot with enabl was conducted end of Octoberin Hildesheim led by DB Schenker Germany Contract Logistics.
In a 10-day intensive test phase, a vehicle was used to test
various forklift driving tasks, such as unloading trailers, as well
as different transport equipment and special pallets. The resultsof the pilot week demonstrate the technical and operational
feasibility of the solution and point out what needs to be
improved to develop a ready-to-use product. The next steps
in the collaboration between enabl and DB Schenker are thevalidation of clear use cases and locations for the ﬁrst deployment of productive remote forklift operations.

10

Hager Group & NxtLog Collaboration

Revolutionizing sustainable logistics
In today’s environmentally-conscious age, Hager Group hasembarked on an innovative journey with the DB Schenker
venture NxtLog, a front-runner in emissions calculation andreduction. Their collaboration seeks to measure, report andreduce logistical emissions for Hager Group.
Objective
The alliance aims to set a benchmark in the logistics ﬁeld bystreamlining emissions data across all transport mediums andsuppliers. Their goal: a uniform system where emissions dataremains consistent, regardless of the transportation type,aligning with global sustainability criteria.
Implementation– Data Harmonization: As cornerstone of this partnership,
Hager Group and NxtLog have uniﬁed data collection
techniques across transport types, setting a precedent inemissions data accuracy.

– Emissions Calculation: Their joint eﬀorts have produced acomprehensive emissions calculation system, factoring in
aspects like transport mode, geography, and supply chain
elements. This delivers precise and actionable emissions
insights.
– Quarterly Emissions Reports: Hager Group beneﬁts fromdetailed quarterly reviews by NxtLog, shedding light oncurrent emissions patterns, product analyses, and industry
comparisons. These reports, grounded in reﬁned data,
oﬀer invaluable insights.
– Recommendations & Forward Plans: Their achievements
in data syncing and emissions tallying are just the
beginning. NxtLog continues to advise on ways to enhancethese processes, aiming for even more precise futurereporting.
Conclusion
The proactive partnership between Hager Group and NxtLog
stands as a beacon for the logistics world. Prioritizing dataconsistency, exact emissions analytics, and tailored reporting,they’re pioneering industry change. Their ongoing eﬀorts are
dedicated to improving emissions data quality, ushering in agreener tomorrow.
Interested
Are you keen to measure, report and reduce logistical emissions too? Sign up for a free trail at www.nxtlog.ai or get incontact with: tobias.heyer@nxtlog.ai

11

Scoping the Supply Chain Visibility Market

Schenker Ventures market research on supply chain visibility startups
Schenker Ventures has undertaken a market research study on
the startup landscape, identifying more than 120+ startups
providing supply chain visibility solutions. Visibility in logistics
refers to tools, methodologies, and strategies to collect, analyze, and use data to plan and execute the supply chain eﬃciently as well as to mitigate disruptions in operations, plan
more eﬀectively, meet customer demands and control costs.
In this study, Schenker Ventures looked at companies’ productoﬀerings, their adoption of new technologies, their competitiveedge and diﬀerent fundraising stages. The team identiﬁed 5
visibility solution concepts:– Traceability solutions: Technologies for real-time tracking
and tracing of a product within the supply chain.
– Transparency solutions: The provision of item speciﬁcand relevant information to stakeholders including their
origins, processes, and movements.
– Carbon management solutions: Tools, platforms andstrategies that enable the tracking of 1, 2 and 3 emissions along the supply chain, usually measured in CO²
equivalents and mitigation of diﬀerent emissions.
– Risk Management solutions: Tools, methodologies andstrategies that enable organisations to identify, assess, mitigate and manage risks and uncertainties thatcan potentially disrupt the supply chain.
– Optimization solutions: Technological tools andplatforms that enable organisations to improve theeﬃciency, eﬀectiveness and overall performance of theirlogistics operations.
Following this research, Schenker Ventures concluded thatthe supply chain visibility sector is subject to trends (reverse logistics, circular economy, etc.) which are mainly driven
by regulatory pressures (e.g., product claims, proof of origin,etc.) and business ambitions (supplier management, process optimization, etc.).
As a result, solutions tend to be industry speciﬁc (fashion,energy, etc.) to target customers’ precise demands. However,across all industries, we see companies’ need for more data
sharing and collaboration from their suppliers. Schenker Ventures expects that new oﬀerings are expected to emerge inthis space, led by new tech (e.g., AI and ML), to better tailorcompanies’ operational and ESG needs.

12First full-electric HCT Truck in Finland

An important step towards zero-emission road transport
DB Schenker introduces Finland’s ﬁrst full-electric high-capacity truck (HCT). The combination, consisting of a fullelectric Volvo FH Electric truck and two semi-trailers,
has a maximum allowed total weight of 68 tons.
First, in test use, the full-electric HCT truck supports DB
Schenker’s sustainable development strategy to reduce
emissions from its own operations. The new truck will be
used for linehaul transports between the Vantaa andLempäälä terminals, as well as for the collection anddistribution of consolidated transports between Lempäälä
and Hämeenlinna. Operating in three shifts, the truck will becharged between the shifts by power charging equipment at
the loading docks in Vantaa and Lempäälä.
“DB Schenker wants to lead the way in environmentallyfriendly logistics. We are committed not only to providing
our customers with sustainable and innovative transport
solutions but also to developing the entire logistics industry
towards a more sustainable tomorrow. Our full-electric HCT
truck is an investment in the future and an important stepin the transition towards zero-emission road transport,”says Harald Knaapinen, Head of Land Transport Finland.

Electriﬁcation done together
The introduction of the new Volvo FH Electric is a continuationof the cooperation between DB Schenker and Volvo Trucks
in fully electric vehicles. In 2022, Volvo supplied DB Schenker
with a fully electric Volvo FL Electric truck, which is used tooperate delivery services in the Tampere city center without
local emissions. Now Volvo wants to show that all-electricand transport solutions also work in applications with hightotal weights and high utilization rates.
Power charging from own solar power plants
DB Schenker has DC power charging equipment in its Vantaa
and Lempäälä terminals, which are sized according to thecharging time and need of the ﬂeet. Except in winter, solar
power plants provide the energy required for charging theﬂeet. If necessary, the electricity is purchased from wind energy, which is virtually emission-free. The charging system
built at the Vantaa terminal is exceptional in the Finnish
logistics industry. The total capacity of the charging
system is about 1000 kW. Besides the new Volvo FH
Electric, the charging system is used for charging local
electric distribution vehicles.

13

Mobility of the Future: DB Schenker tests
automated electric Trucks in Public Transport
DB Schenker and BRP-Rotax lighthouse project successfully completed
It was not an easy project that the project partners DB Schenker, BRP-Rotax and the Digitrans test region took: An automated electric truck that commutes independently and reliably
on a 600-meter route between the two companies DB Schenker
and BRP-Rotax in all weather conditions. The joy of this great
success is even greater. The project partners brought the electric truck into public traﬃc and completed the project withcomplete success.
“It is of utmost importance to us to offer our customers innovative and sustainable logistics solutions. We are therefore
very pleased that we were able to successfully complete thislighthouse project in Gunskirchen and demonstrate that fullyautonomous driving works in real operation, even in complex
environments and under diﬃcult weather conditions. “In thisway, we are driving forward the real use of autonomous freighttransport solutions worldwide,” says Mag. Alexander Winter,
CEO of DB Schenker Austria and Southeastern Europe.

The electric truck, equipped with state-of-the-art sensors, wasalways connected to the surrounding infrastructure, such as
the company’s factory gates and the weather station, during
its journey. Two traﬃc lights with a C-IST (Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems) interface were of particular importance in the project, enabling bidirectional communication
between the vehicle and the nearby infrastructure. In order
to best coordinate the diverse interaction of all factors, detailed
planning and ongoing adaptations of the vehicle, the route andthe traﬃc light switching were essential.
Especially at the end of the test phase, it was successfully
demonstrated that the electric truck was integrating betterand better into conventional traﬃc. The project has now moved
back to the Digitrans test track in St. Valentin, where the operation of the electric truck is being tested using teleoperation(remote control technology).
In order to realize the goal of fully autonomous freight transport in real traﬃc, further research and developments in theareas of vehicles, software and sensors are of great importance.
DB Schenker and its project partners are already planning
further projects to achieve this goal and advance automatedfreight transport on Europe’s roads.

14

Schenker Ventures Launching its Venture Building
Startup Axessible in Egypt
First importers piloting the Axessible solution to optimise customs clearance
Last month Schenker Ventures and Schenker Egypt have oﬃcially and exclusively launched Axessible to selected large
multi-national importers. The pilot phase will be rolled out
incrementally across Schenker Egypt with plans to expand toother countries in MEA upon successful conclusion of the pilot
phase.
When importing to MEA on scale, Trade and Product Compliance Managers are constantly chasing time to ensure shipment
is cleared on time with the aim to avoid additional unplanned
ﬁnancial, commercial and legal liabilities. Axessible analysisof thousands of shipments to Egypt reveals that 93% of shipment are not cleared on time due to ineﬃcient communication
between all parties involved as well as dynamic constantly
changing customs decrees and regulations, together with complex international and local customs tariff codes importing
procedures. All of these factors are causing various bottlenecks
across the full customs clearance journey, resulting in escalating
commercial, admin, storage and demurrage costs.

Axessible Customs Clearance cloud solution helps importers
to forecast and manage their Customs Clearance efforts onscale from all their clearance vendors consolidated into one
standardized dashboard, minimizing ﬁnancial and legal risks
and getting shipment cleared on time.
The platform is built on a library of expertise and requirements
for thousands of customs tariff codes created by licensed customs brokers. This is supported by data science and machinelearning technologies to enable importers to predict and accurately manage a shipment clearance in real-time for their
entire product catalogue. With Axessible, importers can proactively track and manage the clearance requirements anddeadlines for each shipment. This leads to a reduction inclearance lead time of up to 50%, contributing to ﬁnancial
savings in storage, demurrage and commercial costs.
“We are today pioneering an innovative solution in MEA tohelp importers save thousands of dollars per shipment inavoidable clearance related costs. Our plan is to validate theventure early numbers through this pilot phase in Egypt with
5 of the largest importers in the country and expanding acrossvarious verticals in Egypt and other markets in MEA, with a
new market solution independent from Schenker offerings andbrand.” Adam Moalla, Senior Manager Venture Building at
Schenker Ventures

15

Shoe Swap - Let’s explore diﬀerent Roles

Break down silos and foster cross team and company collaboration
As the business landscape evolves, so do the needs and expectations of employees. The rise of hybrid work arrangementsin the post-COVID era requires new approaches to foster growth
and adaptability at the workplace. Therefore, DB Schenker
believes in the power of innovation, and one initiative that
truly exempliﬁes this is “Shoe Swap”.
Innovating Collaboration Across Organization
Conceived in August 2022, Shoe Swap was born from the desire
to break down silos and foster collaboration across diverse
teams, departments, and units. It provides employees a uniqueplatform to explore different roles, understand diverse perspectives, and enhance their skill sets.
What makes Shoe Swap innovative is its ability to transcendorganizational boundaries and connect employees who would
rarely exchange otherwise. It’s an endeavor that goes beyond
the traditional realms of knowledge sharing. It’s about walking
in someone else’s shoes, gaining fresh perspectives, andequipping ourselves with diverse skill sets for an everchanging world. The lessons learned from Shoe Swap aren’t
conﬁned to job-speciﬁc skills. They extend to a broader
understanding of our organization, its intricacies, and the interconnectedness of our teams. It’s a journey of discovery,
enabling our employees to navigate the complexities of the
post-COVID world with conﬁdence and agility.
Join the Shoe Swap Movement
Shoe Swap isn’t just a DB Schenker initiative; it’s a beacon of
innovation that can illuminate the path for other organizations.
If you’re as passionate about future-prooﬁng your employees’skill sets as we are, consider joining us in this transformative
journey.
We invite other companies to swap shoes with DB Schenker,
to share experiences, and to forge connections that strengthen
our collective abilities. Together, we can pioneer new waysof empowering our workforce, fostering innovation, andthriving in a world where change is the only constant.
To embark on this journey or learn more about Shoe Swap,
please reach out to Carina.Ellmer@dbschenker.com
Let’s shape the future of work together, one shoe swap at
a time!

#hungryforinnovation
innovation@dbschenker.com