Transport industry in the digital battle: Companies are looking for new partners!

Transport industry in the digital battle: Companies are looking for new partners!

The transportation and logistics industry is facing significant change as more and more companies seek partnerships with technology firms to advance their digitalization. This is evident in recent reports such as them n-tv summarizes. Digitalization is not just a trend, but now a basic requirement for remaining competitive. Without intelligent access to artificial intelligence and cloud services, it will be difficult for many companies to stay in business.

The situation in the industry is alarming. A study by PwC shows that 193 new joint ventures and alliances were launched worldwide last year - doubling compared to the previous year. But while the number of alliances is increasing, the number of mergers and acquisitions remains at a historically low level of 207 transactions. One reason for this is the ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties, which are causing many companies to hesitate.

Digital transformation as a key factor

How the analog processes in the transport industry can be renewed is a central topic. According to the PwC analysis, digital transformation is considered absolutely necessary to meet the increasing demands of customers. A new perspective on the market is described in PwC's “Transport & Logistics Barometer”, which was created together with the global strategy consultancy Strategy&. This barometer highlights the topics of digital transformation and the need to adapt to new business models caused by social change and global megatrends.

What are the specific advantages of digitalization? The creation of consistent digital process chains plays a crucial role here. The electronic processing of documents, such as waybills and customs declarations, as well as the ability to track shipments in real time not only increases efficiency, but also makes the entire industry future-proof. New digital services are needed to meet the high expectations that manufacturers from the automotive, mechanical engineering and retail sectors in particular place on their logistics partners.

Successful examples on the German market

There are already encouraging examples in Germany. NYK Line has taken over the Berlin fintech Kadmos, which has developed a digital payroll platform for seafarers. Hellmann Worldwide Logistics is also showing initiative by acquiring a minority stake in the Hamburg cloud company Sirum, which provides a digital management system for courier services. These strategies illustrate how important it is to actively shape digital change.

The need to prepare for the digital future is becoming increasingly clear. Strategy& emphasizes that logistics service providers must achieve their own digitalization goals in order not to lose touch. And although personal contact was seen as crucial during the Corona pandemic, the ability to adapt quickly through digital solutions is essential in order to remain able to act even in critical times.

In summary, the transport and logistics industry must prepare to work on the challenges of the digital future with partners and new technologies at its side. This is the only way it can continue to compete internationally.