Kuehne + Nagel has inaugurated its Innovation Centres in Singapore and Utrech to accelerate the development and adoption of new technologies and advanced supply chain solutions.

According to Kuehne + Nagel, the Asia Pacific Innovation Centre in Singapore will research and deploy new solutions on connected warehouses, with a focus on data analytics and Internet of Things, while the Innovation Centre in Utrecht will focus on major automation and innovative picking technologies.

Both centres hold partnerships with universities, start-ups and other organizations to develop innovative supply chain solutions. The centres enable customers to see how new technologies and solutions will impact their supply chains. The innovation centres will also serve as a sandbox to test and rapidly rollout new technologies.

“The innovation centres in Singapore and Utrecht will boost our digital road map by exploring, applying and deploying leading technologies to manage our customers’ supply chains even more efficiently and effectively,” said Gianfranco Sgro, member of the managing board at Kuehne + Nagel International AG responsible for contract logistics. “The market for contract logistics services is transforming substantially due to the effects of digitalization. With the Innovation Centres we invest in research and new technologies to accelerate this transformation.”

The Asia Pacific Innovation Centre is supported by Singapore’s Economic Development Board and will widen Kuehne + Nagel’s reach with the start-up and tech communities in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We are glad that Kuehne + Nagel has chosen Singapore as its base to develop new digital and IoT capabilities for its global operations,” said Kelvin Wong, assistant managing director of the EDB. “The Asia Pacific Innovation Centre will help strengthen collaborations within the logistics ecosystem, and accelerate the creation of innovative logistics solutions and best-in-class supply chain practices.”

Kuehne + Nagel also launched a strategic partnership with software-industrial provider Honeywell during the inauguration ceremony in Singapore. Under the partnership, which aims to look at productivity, accuracy and efficiency improvements, Kuehne + Nagel will deploy Honeywell’s technology solutions at its warehouses around the world, including voice-directed solutions, cloud-based software and warehouse automation solutions.

“We are working on seamless data exchange of different systems to drive automation and to minimize manual efforts,” said Martin Kolbe, chief information officer of Kuehne + Nagel. “In addition we create new services and interfaces allowing customers to easily connect with

Kuehne + Nagel. Applying big data and predictive analytics, supply chains can be managed more efficiently and effectively.”