Dachser and Fraunhofer: What's Next After the Digital Twin "@ILO"

The logistics service provider Dachser is continuing its research partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics in Dortmund and the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems in Sankt Augustin until the end of 2029. The company officially announced this week. The collaboration in the coming three years will focus on digital solutions, artificial intelligence, and robotics. The partners aim to develop further technologies for the logistics service provider's groupage network and the entire supply chain.

Joint Research Since 2017

The collaboration takes place at the Dachser Enterprise Lab in Dortmund. There, logistics experts from the company have been working together with scientists from the two Fraunhofer Institutes since 2017 to develop digital applications for logistics practice. The research combines operational requirements from the general cargo network with scientific knowledge and technological developments.

According to Dachser, the cooperation is a part of the company's own innovation strategy. With the extension, the joint research work, particularly in the areas of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and robotics, is to be continued. The goal is to make new technologies usable for application in the logistics network and along the supply chain.

Digital Twin at 14 Locations by the End of 2026

Among the previous results of the research cooperation is the digital twin "@ILO", which was developed for break-bulk cargo handling. The application was created in the Dachser Enterprise Lab and is being introduced within the company's European logistics network.

According to the logistics service provider, the system is to be implemented at a total of 14 European locations by the end of 2026. This implementation is thus a concrete example of transferring joint research work into operational logistics operations.

For the development of "@ILO," the research partners received the German Logistics Award from the German Logistics Association in 2023. At the beginning of 2026, the system was also awarded the European Logistics Award by the European Logistics Association.