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The DHL Logistics Trend Radar 7.0

Vivien Vella
Vivien Vella
4 min read
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A huge radar scanner sitting in a darkened warehouse
This article covers
The logistics trends set to transform the industry
The latest innovations in AI in logistics
The growing importance of sustainable logistics

What does the future of logistics look like? Which new innovations could transform your business growth? The new edition of the DHL Logistics Trend Radar explores the possibilities…

The logistics industry is in an exciting period of transformation. The post-pandemic era is often called the “new normal”, but this climate is not static; it’s constantly shifting and evolving, driven by new insights and technologies.

To stay competitive, industry professionals must keep ahead of the logistics trends promising to transform their operations and elevate their growth. The DHL Logistics Trend Radar – now in its 7th edition – has become a recognized benchmark for strategy, innovation, and education for businesses of all sizes.

Harnessing key insights from thousands of engagements with stakeholders, internal experts, R&D partners, startups and customers, the radar provides an in-depth and unrivalled analysis of logistics trends, their impact, and opportunities – valuable insights you can leverage to support your business growth.   

For each of the 40 trends –17 social and business and 23 technological – the radar outlines the predicted time to adoption and their impact on logistics. This year, two logistics trends stand out the most: AI and sustainability.

“The DHL Logistics Trend Radar is an invaluable strategic resource for our customers and logistics community. It empowers our customers and us to stay competitive in a demanding landscape.” - Katja Busch, CCO and Head of DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation

AI in logistics: a limitless innovation

The relevance of AI in logistics has expanded significantly, as reflected in this edition, which highlights five prominent trends helping businesses to optimize their supply chain: Generative AI, AI Ethics, Audio AI, Computer Vision, and Advanced Analytics.

Computer vision, for example, can track assets as they move through the warehouse by reading their unique identifiers (like QR codes) – ensuring more on-time and accurate fulfilment rates. Meanwhile, advanced analytics is enabling mass personalization by analyzing big data to find patterns in customer behaviors and preferences – insights e-commerce businesses can use to deliver a more personalized service.

Elsewhere, AI is facilitating faster onboarding of logistics workers within global operations; developments in translation capabilities means it’s able to answer questions in multiple languages, quickly. Last-mile logistics are enhanced too, with AI route planning software analyzing traffic in real time to find the optimal routes for deliveries, ensuring end customers get their goods quicker.

In short, AI’s capabilities within the logistics sector appear limitless; promising big rewards for businesses willing to invest resources into it.

“The speed of transformation in logistics is still accelerating. Alongside the exciting opportunities of AI unlocking unprecedented levels of efficiency and innovation, the focus on sustainable, resilient supply chains will remain at the forefront of our customers’ strategic priorities.” - Klaus Dohrmann, Vice President and Head of Innovation and Trend Research at DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation

Spotlight on sustainable logistics

Sustainability has become an increasingly important subject within logistics in recent years, and now takes a central focus of the latest DHL Logistics Trend Radar.

The sustainability trend cluster spotlights two areas: Renewable Energy Infrastructure and Sustainable Fuels. These trends are essential to reduce carbon emissions and improve logistics efficiency along the supply chain.

Electric vehicles have earned their place on the radar, too. Fuelled by improvements in charging infrastructure and battery capacity, the forecast for the future growth of electric vehicles is staggering: the number of EVs will grow from less than 45 million in 2023 to 250 million in 2030 and 525 million in 2035.

With an increasing number of end customers expecting brands to demonstrate responsible environmental policies, the solutions available to them have never been so abundant.

An image of Emily Pitcher, co-author of the Logistics Trend Radar 7.0

Emily Pitcher

Senior Manager, Innovation, DHL Group

E-commerce enters the conversation

A big part of the construction of the Logistics Trend Radar is deciding what goes in and what is omitted. Many of the authors have contributed to several previous editions, which, combined with their expertise in the logistics sector, means they have a unique perspective on what is significant. Yet, there are still times when emerging trends are unexpected. Emily Pitcher, DHL’s Senior Manager of Innovation and the Radar’s co-author – who has overseen outreach to over 200 stakeholders in collecting data for the new edition – highlights one developing trend in particular: E-commerce Evolution.

“Consumer behavior has changed so much, especially with Generation Alpha who have new demands. They have changed how everything works,” she says, citing the example of TikTok evolving from a purely social to commerce platform to suit the younger generation’s preferred way of consumption.   

With consumer demands constantly changing, AI is playing a vital role. Personalization – so long the golden word in e-commerce – is now being facilitated by advanced analytics, which can analyze patterns in customer behaviors and preferences. Businesses can use these insights to deliver a more personalized experience to customers that will build brand loyalty. E-commerce businesses of all sizes would do well to dig a little deeper into the Logistics Trend Radar to unveil further solutions that will keep them ahead of competitors.

Explore the Logistics Trend Radar 7.0 now!

Explore the Logistics Trend Radar 7.0 now!

Logistics trends to inform your business

Intrigued? Inspired? These examples are just a snapshot of the insights contained within the new edition of the DHL Logistics Trend Radar – which provides a comprehensive look at the social, business and technology trends radically changing supply chains and shaping the future of logistics. Discover more of the trends which could transform your business today, by exploring the interactive radar.

Start exploring