DHL Innovation Award
Innovative ideas, sustainable and efficient logistics concepts - these are the driving forces behind the DHL Innovation Award. The motto for 2013 was "Reaching for the Sky". During the DHL Innovation Day, Solutions & Innovation, the innovation unit of DHL, honors the most innovative and promising logistics solutions designed for use in the real world of business. Since 2008, the DHL Innovation Award has been awarded on an annual basis primarily to junior scientists as well as to dedicated employees and companies in recognition of their innovative spirit of research. Development partners will be recognized once again as well.
Background
DHL Innovation Day 2013
Is the future just around the corner – or is it really now? At the 5th annual DHL Innovation Day, a gala event held at the DHL Innovation Center in Troisdorf, Germany, attendees and prize winners talked about how logistics, and our lives, are likely to change in years to come.
In an opening evening ceremony on April 24 with the motto “Reaching for the Sky,” the DHL Innovation Awards were given in four categories to honor the pioneering concepts and solutions that will influence the future of logistics, and shape our lives.
On April 25, DHL Chief Commercial Officer Bill Meahl welcomed some 200 attendees and speakers from the worlds of science, industry and media to the Innovation Center for a day of discussions on trends around the future of logistics. Talks and panel discussions focused on topics including ‘big data,’ the meaning of being `always on`, cloud computing, and ‘vertical logistics’.
Delightful discussion
“The drive for innovation and finding solutions for today’s problems is a key element to overcoming obstacles and establishing future growth,” Meahl told the assembly. “As a global player, DPDHL is committed to finding innovative logistics solutions. We are delighted to discuss trends and ideas together with our customers, employees and external partners.”In line with this, DHL has published the new ‘Trend Radar’ at the event. The Trend Radar was created to identify and deep dive into societal, technological and business trends that have the power to influence the way we live, work or play.
The event was moderated by Graeme Codrington, a professional public speaker and an expert on the future of work. Summing up the day, Codrington noted that the future appears to be a world where people will increasingly be responsible for controlling and customizing their own, individualized data flows. Like it or not, technology and social media will grow to be even more prevalent than they are today, affecting us in ways we cannot yet foresee. Yet even as we connect more digitally, people will continue wanting to live in close physical proximity, largely in urban settings. All these factors will shape how, and why, goods are moved in the future.
Facts & Figures
- 220 persons attended the DHL Innovation Day 2013
- 2008 was the first year the group ran the DHL Innovation Day
Award winners:
- Most Innovative Customer Solution – Volvo Trucks for “MoDe”
- Most Innovative Scientist / Entrepreneur – Prof. Dr. Christof Paar / Prof. Gregor Leander / Prof. Dr. Poschmann for “PRESENT”
- Most Innovative Employee – Harald Lemke for “Doc Wallet”
- Deutscher Preis für Innovationsjournalismus Publikumsmedien – Thomas Wendel
- Deutscher Preis für Innovationsjournalismus Fachmedien – Constantin Gillies
3 panel discussions explored different topics:
- Big Data
- Always On
- Vertical Logistics
Competition rules
Participation in the DHL Innovation Award
For the DHL Innovation Award, we are looking for ambitious young scientists and entrepreneurs. As a master's or PhD candidate, a research assistant or an entrepreneur, you should have intensely worked on a logistics-related academic research project or business plan.
Creative solutions that are focused on customer needs have the best chance of winning. It is a prerequisite to not only present the theoretical approach, but also provide some initial assumptions on the market potential of the solution. The submission of a business plan will increase your chances of winning. A panel of experts from R&D, politics and business will evaluate the entries.
