DHL and entrepreneurs join forces at DHL Innovation Day 2017

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Competitions, interactive sessions and keynote speeches proposed new social approaches to transport and reimagined the future of tech in the industry. Participants answered DHL’s call for a new mobile-piece picking robot prototype, as well as ideas for incorporating… Finalists were selected by senior DHL executives, with three finalists for each challenge presenting their solutions in front of 180 senior supply chain professionals at DHL Innovation Day. For the Robotics Challenge, which was hosted in collaboration with DELL EMC, finalists from Singapore, Switzerland, and the U.S. demonstrated their prototypes live. Dell EMC co-sponsored this year’s DHL Innovation Day. Timmy O’Dwyer, Vice President, Global Parts Operations and Limerick Site Leader at Dell EMC
DHL and entrepreneurs join forces at DHL Innovation Day 2017 Cached Page below :
Company: DHL, Activity: DHL, Date: 2017-12-08
Keywords: news, games, dhl, companies, 2017, solution, forces, innovation, robotics, logistics, day, join, entrepreneurs, picking, solutions, dell, challenge, emc

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Excellence through innovation

From March to September this year, DHL accepted entries from all over the globe, proposing new prototypes for autonomous mobile-piece picking robots for warehouses, as well as sharing economy solutions for logistics. Finalists were selected by senior DHL executives, with three finalists for each challenge presenting their solutions in front of 180 senior supply chain professionals at DHL Innovation Day. Winners were chosen with a live audience vote.

For the Robotics Challenge, which was hosted in collaboration with DELL EMC, finalists from Singapore, Switzerland, and the U.S. demonstrated their prototypes live. The robots were designed to autonomously navigate a warehouse and collect boxes of varying sizes from shelves to place in a cart. The winner, the Piece Picking Robot from US-based Vecna, received a grand prize of 15,000 euros, as well as a chance to participate in a proof-of-concept with DHL.

“We are thrilled that our prototype proved itself to be fit for the challenge of autonomous picking and excited to see how far our robot can go through our partnership with DHL,” said Daniel Theobald of Vecna.

Dell EMC co-sponsored this year’s DHL Innovation Day. As a company with a strong track record in delivering innovative solutions for organizations undergoing IT transformation, Dell EMC is well positioned to help tech leaders of the future explore new horizons in cutting-edge robotics and logistics. Timmy O’Dwyer, Vice President, Global Parts Operations and Limerick Site Leader at Dell EMC, said: “As one of the largest technology solution companies in the world, it has been a fantastic opportunity for Dell EMC to co-sponsor this initiative. We believe Innovation is at the core of digital transformation, and are proud to be involved in this robotics challenge.”

Finalists of the Sharing Economy Challenge also presented their inspirational solutions aimed at rethinking the status quo of access and ownership. Out of over 60 submissions from around the globe, Parcelly took first place with their platform that coordinates convenient package drop-offs at local businesses, along with immediate notification and flexible pick-up times.

“We are encouraged by DHL’s openness to logistics strategies that challenge conventional business models,” said Sebastian Steinhauser from Parcelly. “We are absolutely on board with adapting to customers’ changing needs by extending the capabilities at the first and last mile of the DHL network, allowing dynamic on-demand pick up and drop off.”

Ending the conference on a high, four start-ups participated in a Shark Tank competition, in which entrepreneurs presented their ideas before an expert jury consisting of Dr. Alex von Frankenberg of High-Tech Gründerfonds, renowned founder and tech investor Frank Thelen of Freigeist, and Peer Bentzen of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The start-up of choice, KWIK, won and will have the chance to conduct a proof of concept with DHL and showcase its solution at the DHL Innovation Center.

KWIK impressed the judges with its online shopping solution that allows customers to reorder their favorite products with just the push of a button. KWIK’s open marketplace and analytics dashboard also offers brands the ability to develop a direct relationship with customers.

“It was a great platform to illustrate how our solution combines the Internet of Things and online shopping to the benefit of both customers and companies,” said Ofer Klein, CEO and Co-founder of KWIK.

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Company: DHL, Activity: DHL, Date: 2017-12-08
Keywords: news, games, dhl, companies, 2017, solution, forces, innovation, robotics, logistics, day, join, entrepreneurs, picking, solutions, dell, challenge, emc

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