EVENT REVIEW

TECHNOLOGY AT THE FOREFRONT

Hypermotion’s first show outside Europe solidifies Dubai’s status as next-generation transport and mobility accelerator

Material Handling Middle East and Hypermotion Dubai held at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo 2020 Dubai concluded on 4 November 2021 to a resounding success as multiple agreements were signed and new products launched into the market. Global experts unveiled blueprints for highways of hope which is changing the way the world travels and moves goods.

Running from 2-4 November, both the events represented a thriving hub of technology game-changers revolutionising four of the Middle East’s key economic sectors — transport, logistics, mobility, and materials handling.

Pitching the future

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group and Chairman of Dubai Airports, who inaugurated Hypermotion Dubai 2021, said: “The fact that Hypermotion was held in Dubai at Expo 2020 is a clear indication of our determination to maintain the emirate at the forefront of smart mobility as well as to leverage and support transformative and disruptive technology towards improving industries, accelerating the development of localised, high-tech economies.”

Held in Dubai for the first time, Hypermotion Dubai attracted a heady mix of public- and private-sector leaders and policy makers, business owners and strategists, start-ups and innovators looking to network and pitch new technology breakthroughs.

It was the first showing of the industry game-changing event outside of Europe and gathered over 150 global experts speaking at its three sector-leading conferences.

“The conferences laid bare the impending challenges facing these vital sectors and the technology which is enabling change,” explained Simon Mellor, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East.

“Industry delegates were privy to the disruptive technology which can transform industries, super-charge the creation of localised hi-tech economies and better the lives of the people they serve.”

The three-day event also hosted market forecasts for both the GCC logistics and electric vehicles sectors in addition to leading data scientists, who presented at the Asyad Global Hackathon Challenge.

Experts addressing the event’s Hypermotion Lab and Smart Mobility conferences said road and urban transport are undergoing the biggest transformation since the invention of the internal combustion engine in the 1880s with policymakers and regulators facing tough choices needed to drive widespread mindset change.

Storm of change

Anthony Foxx, the former US Transportation Security and Chief Policy Officer of ride sharing app Lyft, said the transport industry had been slow to adopt technological transformation and was now facing a perfect storm of change. >>>

Foxx told delegates that to address public demands for fewer emissions to meet climate change goals, the industry would have to reinvent its approach to sustainable infrastructure maintenance, while partnering with urban planners to ensure the best-case use of land and transport connectivity.

“The intensity of urban growth will put pressure on the transport system,” he said. “We have to think much differently about the future than we have in the past. The time is now for new ideas and ideas that can scale. We cannot understate the value of land use in the equation.

“The old way of building infrastructure is going to die out. Planning is an underutilised resource in the transportation industry. We must have a game plan. In a way, we are going to have to go back to the future using our feet in walkable communities to further the future.”

Asset sharing

Delegates at Materials Handling Middle East’s Scalex conference heard that asset sharing within the logistics sector will be the new industry norm as the segment strives to curb emissions and meet sustainability targets.

Addressing Scalex, which focused on supply chain and logistics excellence, Avishai Trabelsi, CEO and co-founder of Quicargo, the Amsterdam-based digital freight platform, said regulation of the sector would make asset sharing inevitable to reap sustainability and safety goals.

“There are currently 13 million trucks on the road in Europe and five million businesses shipping goods, yet the trucks travel half empty. Trucking accounts for only 2% of the vehicles on Europe’s roads but for 20% of the mileage covered and 30% of all road fatalities and emissions,” he explained.

“Asset sharing can immediately bring about a 20-50% reduction in these impacts so regulation will push the sector forward and deliver better pricing for all parties involved.”

Gaurav Biswas, Founder & CEO of Trukker – the MENA region’s leading digital freight platform – said asset class is an example of technology transforming the industry. “Technology is now at the point where we can capture the data and connect demand with supply,” he commented.

Jamil Shinawi, co-founder and director of AHOY which develops technology empowering next-gen logistics and supply chain solutions, said the impact of as-

set sharing would be far-reaching. “The potential is huge but there are challenges in the MENA region with a lack of infrastructure and standardisation. Asset sharing will also impact the insurance sector with liabilities shifting and the entire system of asset ownership changing.”

Product showcases

The event was an ideal platform for companies to demonstrate their most recent developments. Centre Point Logistics (CPL), a Dubai-based logistic supply chain company, introduced its latest warehouse management system, Logiswift with the aim to improve the already impressive customer service.

The new system provides a complete live track and trace option for all its customers, ensuring that they are aware of where their cargo is in the supply chain.

Paul Morgan, CEO of CPL, said: “We’re committed to providing our customers with a one-stop, affordable logistics solution from manufacturer to consumer to enable businesses to sell everywhere effortlessly.”

IQ Fulfillment, the first robotic fulfilment solution in the MENA region, launched IQ Hybrid. IQ Hybrid a licensing model for the IQ Fulfillment solution that utilises IQ’s technology and modular processes and can be implemented instantly.

Fadi Amoudi, CEO of IQ Fulfillment, said: “Hypermotion Dubai’s first event, taking place at Expo 2020, represents an exceptional platform to launch IQ Hybrid as it brings together industry “HYPERMOTION DUBAI’S FIRST EVENT, TAKING PLACE AT EXPO 2020, REPRESENTS AN EXCEPTIONAL PLATFORM TO LAUNCH IQ HYBRID AS IT BRINGS TOGETHER INDUSTRY PIONEERS AND SMES, WHO ARE HARNESSING DISRUPTIVE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE FUTURE OF LOGISTICS.”

pioneers and SMEs, who are harnessing disruptive digital technologies for the future of logistics. With IQ Hybrid, businesses can unlock global growth through its partner ecosystem and core markets in as little as 24 hours; generate revenue from day one; and benefit from seamless and centralized innovation, technology and R&D.”

Savoye, a logistics solution engineering company, too showcased its solutions at the event. It introduced its automated products for intralogistics and other software which include Goods-To-Person system (GTP) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR).

Alain Kaddoum, Managing Director of Savoye Middle East said: “Savoye has been providing autonomous hardware and software solutions to the intralogistics and supply chain groups for years. Since we recently expanded into the Middle East, it is a wonderful opportunity for us to participate in the Materials Handling Middle East show and showcase our unique solutions to industry experts and prospects.”

Swisslog Middle East presented AutoStore with a big live demo. It is a highly efficient robotised storage and order processing solution that integrates easily into existing buildings. This also provides the flexibility and scalability to meet changing demand while continuing to compress order cycle and delivery times.

Visitors also learned about other solutions by Swisslog such as CycloneCarrier which is aa reliable, efficient and best-inclass automated shuttle system designed for industries where high throughput and excellent availability are essential. It is particularly well-suited for the requirements of the eCommerce, pharmaceutical and fresh food industry.