Here are 10 innovations in the urban logistics space that speakers at Bisnow London’s Industrial and E-Commerce event predicted as having a huge impact on the sector.
- Vertical Buildings
- Driverless Cars
- Currently warehouse locations are to a big extent determined by how big an area can be reached by a truck driver in a single shift. If trucks do not need drivers any more, then logistics does not need to be positioned as close to towns, as orders can be fulfilled from larger warehouses and by fleets of driverless vehicles.
- Forget about drones
- “Driverless vehicles are a big part of our customers’ thinking, but drones they are not talking about so much,” he said. “There is a big issue around security and in dense urban environments do you really want a lot of them flying around?” said Alan Holland
- Space as a service coming to logistics
- Utilizing the store portfolio
- As companies get better at tracking store inventory in real time, online orders might not require as big a logistics footprint. “If they can fulfill orders using their store portfolios, or direct people to a click and collect option, then the need for last-mile logistics space is reduced,” Savills Commercial Research Director Kevin Mofid said.
- Beds and Sheds
- R&D is creating demand
- No one knows the impact of 3D printing yet
- Re-purposing under-used space
- Logistics buildings need to get smarter
- “The idea that you have a building where you don’t know how much energy you are using, or how all areas of it are being utilized, or about the well-being of the staff, is very old-fashioned now.” said Alan Holland
https://www.bisnow.com/london/news/industrial/the-10-innovations-could-radically-alter-urban-logistics-87477