DHL

DHL Mobile MEA Innovation Centre set for launch in Dubai

First-of-its-kind modular building has been shipped from Germany to UAE

DHL has announced plans to expand its global innovation centre footprint to the region with the launch of the Mobile Middle East and Africa Innovation Centre in October 2021.

The MEA Innovation Centre is DHL’s fourth Centre globally, complementing the series of innovation centres in Chicago, USA; Cologne, Germany; and Singapore; and the first completely mobile one. The first stop will be in Dubai to coincide with the Expo 2020 Dubai in the UAE.

“We are excited to bring the DHL Mobile MEA Innovation Centre looks forward to unveiling an inspiring journey into the future of logistics and showcasing a realm of possibilities and the many benefits of digital transformation for people and the planet. The Innovation Centre will act as a platform supporting research and collaborative innovation between DHL customers, start-ups, academia, industry partners, and innovation experts,” affirmed Ken Allen, CEO, DHL eCommerce Solutions.

Innovation hub

True to its identity as an innovation hub, the Mobile MEA Innovation Centre will be the first-of-its-kind modular building constructed off-site and transported to Dubai. The 450sqm temporary structure, is designed to be built, dismantled and then transported to the next location, making it ideal for a number of markets.

The modular building, constructed in Germany, has been shipped to Dubai and will be assembled by October 2021, a true testimony of ‘Innovation That Moves’. The Centre will include exhibition and trend lab space, offices and meeting facilities.

The DHL Mobile Middle East & Africa Innovation Centre will be a stateof-the-art facility where customers, partners, academia, and thought leaders can experience the next generation of logistics in an interactive showroom environment.

It is anticipated that the Mobile MEA Innovation Centre will spearhead the future of logistics and drive customercentric innovation across the Middle East region and beyond, focusing on key logistics innovation trends for the region such as Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics.

Ken Allen

Planned tours

The DHL Mobile MEA Innovation Centre is planned to tour various countries in the Middle East & Africa through 2027. The facility is expected to stay in Dubai until mid-2022, then move to Qatar, the next location.

Current technological advances in logistics are strategically aligned to the national ambitions and strategic visions of many of the countries in the region and their plans for digital expansion.

The new Mobile MEA Innovation Centre will provide an inspiring and interactive visitor experience to explore the future of logistics. It showcases cutting edge innovation and solutions, projects and industry capabilities, extending the existing Innovation Centre ecosystem and helps customers drive digitalization.

Working on latest trends and technologies, DHL is actively shaping the future of logistics and supply chain solutions, a press communiqué concluded.

DHL delivers 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses

Vaccines shipped to more than 160 countries since December 2020

Since the global vaccine campaign began in December 2020, DHL has safely delivered more than 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses to more than 160 countries, playing a key role in the global vaccination roll-out, the company said in a press statement.

‘“In line with our purpose of ‘Connecting people, Improving Lives’, we will continue tapping into our cold chain infrastructure, resilient global network, and deep pharmaceutical logistics knowledge and experience of our people”, remarked Katja Busch, Chief Commercial Officer, DHL.

“Our advantage is that we already had a sophisticated network in place with the necessary healthcare expertise. This allowed us to react swiftly”, explained Claudia Roa, President of Life Sciences & Healthcare, DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation.

“We ship the vaccines in special active thermal containers equipped with stateof-the-art GPS temperature trackers to ensure consistent temperatures and provide full transparency throughout the entire journey,” she continued.

Multiple routes

DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Express have been tasked with transporting vaccines on multiple routes from Europe and other origins to countries across Asia Pacific, South America, and Europe. DHL Supply Chain is responsible for the proper storage and local distribution of the vaccines in several German states, the press communiqué continued.

“Making a meaningful difference is what drives us, and we are proud of our contribution to the enormous task of delivering the pandemic vaccines and related critical medical supplies to the right place at the right time, worldwide,” asserted Thomas Ellmann, Vice President of Life Sciences & Healthcare, DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation.