4.0 Logistics at MODERNLOG - interview with Hanna Zdrojewska, Modernlog Project Manager

MODERNLOG, together with the ITM Industry Europe fair block, opens this year’s season of industry events at MTP Poznan Expo. You return to face-to-face meetings after a long break. It is certainly a big challenge and responsibility for the organisers. What are the preparations for this year’s event like?

Hanna Zdrojewska: The rich programme of the ITM Industry Europe fair block, including the MODERNLOG Trade Fair of Logistics, Transport and Storage, was ready last year, but unfortunately due to the epidemic situation, we were unable to implement it.  This season, being aware of the great responsibility towards our exhibitors and fair visitors, we intend to implement previous ideas, supplemented with crisis-fighting motifs, as well as examples of good and effective market practices in the COVID-19 era. Based on the number of already reported companies, as well as discussions with the industry, we trust that the upcoming fair will be a great success. Both we, the organisers and the industry, are looking forward to face-to-face business meetings, the buzz of talks and the trade fair stir. I am convinced that many years of experience in organising trade fairs will allow us to meet new challenges in a responsible and safe manner.

What can we expect at the end of August in Poznań?

We believe that constant contact with representatives of companies from the logistics sector allowed us to prepare appropriate attractions for both exhibitors and professional visitors. It is not without reason that our next edition is accompanied by the slogan logistics 4.0, referring directly to the concept of the fourth industrial revolution, automation, robotisation, processing and operating big data using digital tools. We know that these are topics that are of great interest to logisticians and they will certainly be present at the MODERNLOG fair. The thematic scope of our event, however, is wider and includes transport technologies, storage, order picking, warehouse management, packaging and identification systems, software and IT solutions for intralogistics, transport logistics, as well as logistics services, including contract logistics.

The MODERNLOG fair will also feature machine shows that will be organised in the Innovation for Logistics Industry (In4Log) zone. This is a rare opportunity to see the live operation of devices used in the optimisation of intralogistics processes, assess their effectiveness, speed and efficiency against critical challenges.

We know from experience that there will also be interesting initiatives at the stands of our exhibitors. Product novelties, attractive promotional campaigns and, most of all, representatives of companies ready to talk and present their offer will surely be of interest for the fair visitors.

Will it also be possible to take part in the conference accompanying the fair this year?

Of course, the Smart Warehouse Conference has permanently entered the MODERNLOG programme. Also this year, you will be able to meet industry experts and discuss the optimisation of processes, automation and robotisation of logistics activities using the latest technologies on the market. This year, the conference will last two days (1-2.09), of which on September 1, Artur Olejniczak (Poznan School of Logistics) will conduct a panel entitled IoT_digitalizacja, and Piotr Sędziak (Orbico Supply) will conduct a discussion with panelists on internal transport technology. The second day of the conference, i.e. September 2, will be devoted to automatic storage systems and AGV_robots, which will be hosted by Magdalena Libiszewska (Forum Media) with Łukasz Musialski (Chaingers) and Ilona Miziewicz-Groszczyk (Europa Systems).

The speakers will be representatives of such companies as Fanuc, Omron, SICK or HIT Kody Kreskowe. We made sure that the meeting was full of case studies, examples of implementations on the Polish and foreign markets, and that it responded to the real needs of modern logistics heads, warehouse managers and supply chain managers. We constantly try to listen to our exhibitors and industry partners to keep up with the dynamically developing logistics industry. The conference is held under the patronage of PSML and Łukasiewicz-Institute of Logistics and Warehousing. Free registration for this event is open at: https://smartwarehouse.modernlog.pl/.

What about people who, for various reasons, will not decide or cannot come to the fair?

For them, we have prepared an online platform for online meetings, which is addressed to both exhibitors and fair visitors. We hope iIt will allow you to reach potential customers with your offer, regardless of the location of the company’s seat or the opportunity to physically participate in the event. As befits the logistics 4.0 fair, we draw from the achievements of new technologies, we do not forget about the value of traditional and proven solutions.

I will add here that through the aforementioned platform it will also be possible to take part in the Smart Warhouse conference, which will be broadcast live.

Is the list of exhibitors already known?

The list of exhibitors for the entire trade fair block is available on the Modernlog.pl website, but it is not yet a complete list. Every day we are joined by other companies that, emboldened by loose restrictions, are more and more open to face-to-face meetings. It includes companies such as WObit, Wanzl, AG Consult, Europa Systems, Kardex Polska, as well as many industry and education institutions. Therefore, there will be an opportunity to talk with market leaders and learn about their latest offer.