DHL Supply Chain has opened its 90,000m² Advanced Regional Center in Singapore.

According to DHL, the new facility features an S$18.8 million (US$14 million) multi-customer automation system which uses 130 robotic shuttles to pick and store products from 72,000 locations across 26 levels. The system improves picking efficiency by 20% and uses 40% less space than conventional warehousing operations.

“As an organization, our spirit thrives on a hunger for new knowledge and innovations that we can bring to customers to meet the challenges of Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution,” said Frank Appel , chief executive officer of Deutsche Post DHL Group [third from right in photo]. “We see the Asian region as a swift adopter of technologies for enhanced productivity and efficiency. By 2020, Asia will constitute 30% of our total revenue. Facilities like the Advanced Regional Center offer a ready model of innovations that reduce complexity, improve accuracy and maximize opportunities for productivity gains.”

DHL’s Asia Pacific Innovation Center, which was launched in 2015 and is dedicated to innovative logistics services in the region, is co-located within the new ARC, according to DHL.