Swiss Post to transport lab samples in drone project
Drone logistics could deliver our goods or urgent hospital supplies in the near future, but it’s still in the test and development stages. Swiss Post has already tested autonomous drones in Lugano for commercial transport operations in the medical sector. On Tuesday, the national postal service of Switzerland announced it is extending its drone delivery project with drone manufacturer Matternet as the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has now given both companies approval for the flights in Berne and Zurich.
In this pilot project, drones will fly in the Swiss capital of Berne to transport lab samples between Tiefenau hospital and University Hospital Insel in a much quicker and more efficient way than the current transportation methods, which is crucial for doctors who are treating patients in life threatening situations. The drones will be used on at least ten operational flight days over a two week period so that the results collected for an assessment are as informative as possible. The assessments will be conducted to see if the drones provide real added value to the hospitals and patients. Then it will be decided if drones will be used in the day-to-day operations of transporting lab samples.
To read more about this pilot project, click here.
Alibaba affiliate to build logistics hub at Hong Kong Airport
On Wednesday, Cainaio, the logistics affiliate of Alibaba, revealed it is leading a joint venture to build a digital logistics center worth $1.5 billion at Hong Kong International Airport. China National Aviation Corporation and courier YTO Express will also be a part of the joint venture. This individual project is part of Cainaio’s bigger plans to open five global logistics hubs in an effort to expand its global network. Moreover, it is also part of parent company Alibaba’s commitment to invest over 100 billion yuan in a logistics network, with the intention of fulfilling deliveries within 24 hours in China and 72 hours globally.
The new logistics center will process air cargo, sort and fulfill orders with the help of technology systems, such as automated warehousing and temperature-control solutions. This logistics hub is set to be up and running by 2023 and will be able to handle at least 1.7 million tons of cargo at its full capacity each year.
More information can be found here.
More heavy-duty trucks are needed
Recently, the trucking industry has experienced some problems, for instance the driver shortage and rising freight rates. However with that being said, it seems that there is still some confidence in the industry as the market for new heavy-duty trucks is increasing at an extraordinary level because of the rise of U.S. freight demand. Shipping demand is rising at a swift pace because factories are increasing the volume of production and retailers are boosting stock levels. This puts a lot of strain on freight networks.
Orders for trucks and fleets have more than doubled in comparison to this time last year. This is having a negative effect on truck manufacturers as they are left with an order backlog of over 200,000 trucks due to a shortage of vital parts. This backlog is the equivalent to over 8 months of production.
Click here for more details.
Have a great weekend!
