Manufacturing logistics and procurement – April 2026

Robotisation essential for earning power the Netherlands in the next decade
The Dutch manufacturing industry faces an urgent challenge. An ageing workforce, persistent staff shortages and high labour costs are putting the sector under severe pressure, whilst productivity growth is stagnating. Applied research institute TNO is calling for the accelerated and coordinated deployment of robotisation and automation to safeguard the Netherlands’ earning capacity

Potential of humanoid robots for the logistics industry
Skill shortages, geopolitical uncertainties and global supply chain issues are forcing companies to become more efficient, resilient and flexible. Where traditional automation reaches its limits, humanoid robots are seen as a promising technology. In a recent study (19,79 MB), researchers at Fraunhofer IML investigated their potential for the logistics industry.

MHI-Deloitte: AI biggest disruptor of supply chains over the next decade
MHI and Deloitte report that Artificial Intelligence is viewed as the most disruptive technology for the next decade. The publication, based on a survey of supply chain leaders, reports that a 1/4 of respondents categorise AI as transformational and nearly half (48%) consider its disruptive impact to be significant or even greater since 2025. Robotics and automation follow AI as the second most disruptive technology. You can download the report after filling in your details.

ISTA 3E packaging testing procedure revised
Smithers reports that ISTA 3E has been revised. ISTA Procedure 3E governs distribution testing for unitised, palletised loads of similar products moving through full truck load (FTL) shipments. This involves warehousing, vehicle transport, and multi-point handling. It is the standard most commonly used with many products destined for retail supply chains. The standard includes atmospheric preconditioning, various shock methods, vibration and compression testing.

To be disclosed: hottest logistics packaging at Logistica Next 2026
On 23 April 2026 an agreement was made between NVC Packaging Centre and Logistica Next 2026 that some of the hottest logistics packaging innovations will be on display during the show that takes place 3-5 November 2026. The cooperation also includes daily NVC on-show tours and an enticing on-show highly interactive NVC seminar programme that is scheduled to take place Tuesday 3 November 2026 from 1-4 PM CET. The programme is inspired by the NVC project Innovation in Retail Packaging.

Factory automation: technology, scale and the next wave of industrial investment
L.E.K. Consulting has published new insights on the discrete (factory) automation market, that is entering a new phase of growth, driven by structural megatrends and rapid advances in AI-enabled technologies. Manufacturers are facing increasing pressure from labour shortages, supply chain volatility and rising quality and sustainability requirements. As a result, automation has become a strategic necessity rather than a discretionary investment. At the same time, advances in physical AI, intelligent robotics and digital twin technologies are enabling more flexible, adaptive and data-driven production systems. You can download the report after filling in your details.
 

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