ICT&Logistics 2023 shows logistics Netherlands at its best

Last week, ICT&Logistics 2023 took place in Royal Jaarbeurs. That logistics Netherlands is working hard to make logistics more efficient, sustainable and future-proof is evident from the large number of visitors to the trade fair. Nearly 7,000 visitors made contact with the more than 180 exhibitors over two days and showed curiosity about the latest innovations, were inspired by the numerous knowledge sessions and made agreements on cooperation and partnerships.

Trade fair manager Corien den Ouden looks back with great satisfaction. "We managed to attract more visitors to the fair this year, showing that we are the leading fair in the field of ICT in the logistics sector in the Netherlands."

Logistics Netherlands is under a magnifying glass. This is evident, among other things, from the election campaign in which many political parties are questioning the withering of the landscape and the labor migration that goes with it. During Hét Logistiek Debat, which the Vereniging Logistiek Management (vLm) organized in collaboration with ICT&Logistiek, three experts joined the participants in their search for solutions. "We need to work on image," says Cees Pille of Transport & Logistiek Nederland (TLN). "We should be proud of our logistics sector and show that quite a bit more. Show the public what the added value of logistics is. Invite the city council to come and take a look at your company."

Doing more with digitization

According to Oliver Rebollo of Trans.eu, this discussion about the damnation of the landscape is running its course. "The average consumer has no problem with those big boxes in the landscape, but he does have a problem with all those delivery vans in his street. Further digitalization will help streamline that. We do a lot right in the Netherlands, but to become a top logistics player we need to do more on digitization." ING's Machiel Bode points to the Netherlands' fifth place on the Logistics Perfomance Index. "So we are well positioned to remain a top logistics player. It is our policymakers who need to take even harder hits. We should actually have this discussion about the future of Logistics Netherlands with the people who are not here."

Wider offerings at the trade show

That the fair was buzzing, also noticed Jitske Brink, CEO of Filogic and president of DALTI, the association of IT suppliers in transportation and logistics. "We had good, substantive conversations. Companies are genuinely interested in our solutions. They are running up against the limitations of their current systems and are motivated to take the next step in digitization. Partly for this reason, DALTI's knowledge session on software procurement and implementation was very well attended." Brink also sees many new faces at the fair. As an explanation, she points to the large number of exhibitors, including many newcomers. "ICT&Logistics is no longer the domain of only transport management, fleet management and warehouse management systems. The range of exhibitors has become broader. And these in turn also bring new people to the fair."

Best-attended fair

Exhibitor Pieter Van den Broecke is also impressed with the event. "This is the best attended trade fair in recent years. It proves that there is a lot going on in the logistics sector and that there is a lot of need for change. Companies are looking for the logistics solutions needed for this," says the managing director of the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Eastern Europe of software supplier Manhattan.

Van den Broecke sees that many companies are in the midst of transformation projects. "They see the needs of their customers and therefore their order profile changing. They are moving closer to end customers in order to serve them better. That leads to more complexity in logistics processes, which is accompanied by changes in the design of goods and information flows. This calls for new logistics concepts and the software required for them."

From November 5 to 7, 2024, Royal Jaarbeurs will once again transform into the logistics hub of the Netherlands. ICT&Logistics and Logistica Next will then take place simultaneously.