Logistics 4.0 and the new Silk Road have been the all-dominating topics at transport logistic China 2018, which took place in Shanghai from May 16 to 18, 2018. Participants from all over the world presented their products and services as well as official pavilions from Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Latvia, Malaysia and Lithuania. 

The eighth edition of transport logistic China has once again lived up to its reputation as the leading trade fair for logistics, mobility, IT and supply chain management in Asia. “The continuous growth of this exhibition reflects the huge demand for cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions in the Chinese logistics market. transport logistic China is an efficient and practical platform for decision-makers to meet face-to-face, communicate and expand business, and at the same time strongly promotes the high-quality development of the logistics industry,” says Gerhard Gerritzen, Member of the Management Board at Messe München GmbH. 

“I was a bit surprised as there are so many exhibitors. We reached a lot of international visitors. This reflects how influential the exhibition is,” says Feng Xiang, Vice President, YTO Express Group Co., Ltd.

Digitization remains most trending topic

All participants agreed that China is pressing ahead with digitization at top speed. The country is already playing a leading role in this sector and it continues to grow – accelerated by its “Made in China 2025” strategy. Intelligent logistics is definitely becoming the core competence of emerging enterprises, in terms of equipment, software, system integration and assistant decision-making. 

To meet the needs of brand publicity of many technology logistics enterprises as well as strengthen the industry interaction, transport logistic China launched the new “Intelligent Logistics Innovation Pavilion” as an offline platform for intelligent logistics product display and technology communication. “This year, we initiated a “Think-A-Thon”, where Supply Chain Management students of the local Tongji University worked out, how blockchain technology may become a game changer in international supply chains. The team of transport logistic China has been a great support in realizing this project,” says Martin Kraemer, Head of Marketing & PR at Jettainer GmbH.

New Silk Road second focus topic

With its estimated investment volume of one trillion Euros, China’s mega project of the New Silk Road has instigated a certain sense of euphoria in the world of logistics, which was also noticeable at transport logistic China 2018. “The New Silk Route will significantly increase the amount of goods that need to be transported from China to the West but also within the country itself,” explains Thomas Lindy Sorensen, CEO of Schenker China Ltd. “We have more than 40 years of experience with Messe München and are now for the fourth time at transport logistic China. For us, the transport logistic fairs are important events to stay up-to-date and develop our business opportunities.”  “We saw a lot of international leading companies. It shows that transport logistic China is a truly international, first-class open platform. Its influence and recognition in the logistic industry has been greatly improved,” adds Yun Xin, Director Executive Office, Sinotrans Limited.

Demand remains strong

The attendance of 667 exhibitors from 65 countries and regions as well as more than 26,300 visitors from more than 67 countries and regions proves the strong economic interest in the region. Furthermore, the scale and focus of the transport logistic China has been significantly improved through the cooperation with the China Communication and Transportation Association (CCTA).   

As an integral part of transport logistic China, air cargo China once again brings the whole air cargo industry together in one place. Besides the exhibition of leading companies, the accompanying air Cargo Forums explored the important and new topics on Blockchain Technology, IoT Technology and Air Cargo Communities.

In the meanwhile, the concurrent show, “PeriLog (perishable logistics) – fresh logistics Asia” provides one-stop solutions to fresh product suppliers in front-end procurement, quality control, warehousing and refrigeration, cold-chain transportation and sales, as well as cooked food processing.

Conference programs hit on hot topics

transport logistics China this year features over 40 accompanying events, which proved to be an important communication platform for acquiring new industry trends. They covered the current hot topics: smart logistics, blockchain, retail supply chain, catering supply chain, Logistics 4.0, chemical logistics, fresh city distribution, cold chain logistics, air cargo, New Silk Road, intermodal and manufacturing as well as the entire range of the logistics industry. “The integration of exhibition and conference is also a great idea. We joined in a lot of relevant forums and gained much from them,” says Peng Cao, Manager of Business Dept., Qingdao Port International Logistics Co., Ltd. concludes.