Within the UK’s so-called ‘Golden Logistics Triangle’ a high-specification facility in Corby has quietly redefined what modern third-party logistics looks like. David Priestman made a site visit.

Europa Warehouse’s flagship site, opened in June 2020 and fully-operational for five years, stands not only as a testament to resilience under pressure, but also as a blueprint for scalable, technology-driven warehousing. Built on a former British Steel quarry that had lain dormant for years, the £60 million development transformed a 25-acre site into a 750,000 sq. ft logistics powerhouse with 49 loading bay docks and three 30,000 sq. ft mezzanines, demarcated into different zones.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic’s disruption, the facility was completed and commissioned ahead of schedule — an early indicator of the operational discipline that would come to define its performance. Sectors now served mainly include food and drink, nutrition, apparel, consumer goods and packaging, with clients in the drinks industry such as Beer52, Naked Wines, Beerwulf and Laylo. There are 19 brands/customers whose stock is managed here and Europa are tendering for more wins.

Scaling Smart

£11 million of the overall investment went into automation, with PSB Intralogistics as the system integrator. PSB installed the automated storage system, which holds 36000 totes and has 60 lifts, as well as the conveying, ten picking stations including the Rotapick machine (which alone costs £750,000 – see image below). Designed to support a sole occupant and now a flexible 3PL model, the automation system enables clients to scale operations up or down in response to fluctuating demand, a critical capability in today’s volatile supply chains. The Europa team are certain that they fully understand the system and can maximise its performance.

The facility’s physical design also pushes the boundaries of traditional warehousing. While a typical warehouse might accommodate around 90,000 pallets across seven storage levels, Corby has been engineered for maximum utilisation. With nine aisles of pallet racking reaching the regulatory height limit of 18 metres, and very narrow aisle (VNA) equipment in operation, the site can accommodate a blended average of 100,000 pallets, handling both British and European pallet specifications. There is an opportunity to expand the automated storage system further.

Efficiency Collaboration

Dionne Redpath (pictured, below) is the Chief Operating Officer and Warehouse Divisional Director at Europa Worldwide Group. She tells me that the secret behind having flexibility for customers to vary pick volumes due to peaks and demand changes, growth and decline lie within good customer relationships and the core processes adopted together. “If you have a customer with rock-solid forecasting then you’re able to build out really solid plans that insure capacity when its needed. We’re refining and becoming more accurate together. We need to be able to pick the right product at the right time. Forecasting isn’t just the total numbers, but what products they are expecting to sell and on what day, to avoid in-day replenishments.” There are lots of seasonal products stored here and half are for ecommerce.

“Originally the automation system was for one customer occupant, but we then migrated to a multi-user environment for drinks and health supplements,” she says, stating that this is probably the only sharer user automation system around. “It gives us a dynamic edge in the marketplace. We attract customers who are looking for ecommerce, agility and those with similar business values, like entrepreneurship, or might not feel at home in a more corporate environment. They like the friendly, family spirit we embody. Businesses starting on their journey are looking for guidance from a partner that has experienced a lot of what the ecommerce landscape has got to offer. It’s challenging.”

Workforce for Modern Logistics

Today, the Corby site employs a 170-strong team spanning operatives, forklift drivers, flow managers and engineers. Some joined as agency workers and have since progressed to management roles, now playing an active role in mentoring and developing others. “We have a unique culture which is can-do, sleeves-up. We promote from within,” Redpath says. “Typically, in a 3PL staff are siloed into individual roles, whereas we’re team-based. There’s a core skills matrix but also core specialisms. People develop as it’s a dynamic environment and we’re very proud of them.” Reflecting both the local community and the international nature of the logistics sector, the workforce represents a wide range of nationalities.

Checking the Top Shelf

Traceability and transparency are central to the model. From the moment goods arrive, they are fully tracked through to dispatch, with automated systems handling picking, packing and delivery. Clients benefit from real-time access to Europa Warehouse’s order fulfilment platform, providing live visibility over stock levels, outbound shipments and returns. Infios’ HighJump WMS is central to the operation. “It’s a very configurable system, meaning you can design it to suit any business. We share all our data outputs daily via EDI and APIs with customers, garnering KPIs, for example for inbound receipt, picking and despatched notifications,” Redpath informs me. This integration of automation and data-driven oversight ensures not only speed and accuracy but also cost efficiency — key priorities for businesses navigating increasingly complex distribution networks.

A Dexory bot (pictured, below) was added last November and has been deployed since December to scan the entire DC off-peak, covering every single pallet position each week. “You can schedule it with the Dexory team, create and zone it with many configurations. We’re swapping it to the 18m mast version soon,” Redpath informs, so it can reach the highest pallet locations. A digital twin is made by DexoryView when the bot does the rudimentary stock checks. “It removes the manual front end associated with stock maintenance. The team (of 8 with 1 manager) are taking the outputs of data analysis and using it for investigations and troubleshooting, modifications and changing sku locations. It’s an ongoing voyage of discovery,” Redpath states.

Supporting Growth Across Sectors

The hub offers strong connectivity to pallet and parcel distribution networks, as well as seamless integration with Europa’s air and sea freight operations. This multimodal capability enables the facility to support a diverse client base across B2B and direct-to-consumer channels. Since its launch, the facility has achieved several key milestones, including processing more than five million orders annually and introducing a pioneering shared-user automation solution. It also holds HMRC Wet and Dry Bond accreditation, enabling efficient handling of customs bonded goods. This is particularly useful to alcohol suppliers as the duty is not paid until it leaves the DC, when a customs transaction is created.

The Shed Ahead

As the Corby warehouse reaches its sixth anniversary in June, it stands as the largest and most technologically advanced facility in Europa Warehouse’s UK portfolio. More importantly, it represents a shift in how logistics providers think about space, systems and scalability. Redpath and her team are currently assessing all the materials handling equipment used, as well as considering replacing or enhancing some manual picking lines with more automation. But she’s coy on what the outcome will be.

“Automation is fantastic, but you can spend a lot of money when what matters the most is how much value it will deliver. Will it avert us needing an unattainable number of staff? This site has a capacity of how many people it’s feasible to operate here. We’ve embraced a number of technologies and need to drive out costs and improve throughput,” she concludes. “That’s where we spend our time and research. We were contemplating the effectiveness of robotic arms for some operations, but we’re not quite there yet. PSB have plenty of different solutions that differ from what we do today.”

A solar PV project is possible for the roof as part of the modernisation ahead and the mezzanine structure can be extended across the front of the building, making it double its current size, as well as adding more racking. In an era where supply chains must be both resilient and responsive, this DC offers a compelling case study: a warehouse designed not just for storage, but for strategic advantage.

The European Road Transport Institute Foundation (EITD) has published key insights from the market, a new analytical report examining the major trends shaping European road freight in the first three months of the year.

Spot freight offers surge across European corridors

Load offers on key European routes grew substantially throughout Q1, with March delivering the strongest momentum. Western European corridors led the way: the France–Benelux route recorded a year-on-year increase of 102%, while France–Germany (+73%), Germany–Benelux (+71%), and Benelux–France (+72%) also posted exceptional growth. Central European routes followed a similar upward trajectory, with Germany–Poland reaching +43% and Poland–Germany +37% in March.

“What we’re seeing is not just a typical post-winter rebound, but a structurally stronger demand environment — and part of this increase reflects a rebalancing between contract and spot markets, particularly where contract rates no longer match current cost realities,” said Michał Pakulniewicz, Market Analyst at European Road Transport Institute Foundation.

Carrier search activity recovers

Carrier search activity remained subdued in January and February, with most corridors recording year-on-year declines consistent with the trend of the past two years. March brought a partial rebound, however, with several Western European routes turning positive. The Spain–France corridor saw the strongest recovery, accelerating to +29% in March after modest growth earlier in the quarter. The shift reflects carriers being drawn back to platforms by rising rates and increased spot market fragmentation. ​

Freight rates accelerate sharply

Freight rates followed a steady upward trend across Q1 2026, but March marked a clear shift in pace. After mostly single-digit increases in January and February, double-digit year-on-year gains became widespread. The Poland–Italy corridor recorded the steepest rise at +14.1%, followed by Benelux–France (+13.6%) and Poland–Germany (+13.5%). The acceleration reflects both direct cost pressure from higher fuel prices and the amplifying effect of the spot market, which transmits cost changes into rates more rapidly than long-term contracts.

Natalia Janiszewska, CEO of ​ European Road Transport Institute Foundation, sees a structural shift in how the market is pricing transport:

“When fuel costs spike and contracts stop reflecting what transport actually costs today, freight moves to spot. That’s exactly what we saw this quarter — and the spot market is becoming the primary way to price transport in uncertain conditions. That’s a shift the whole industry needs to take seriously.”

Warehouses have fixed dimensions and there is pressure to maximise the usable cubic storage space. Adding mezzanine levels can help achieve that. David Priestman speak to a flooring expert.

“We follow the customers, who are mainly systems integrators,” Bart Pulles, Operations and Sales Manager for MiTek in Germany told me during LogiMAT Stuttgart. Celebrating ten years in the German market this year, MiTek supply steel mezzanines (both hybrid and cold-formed systems), steel platforms and support structures to optimise space, particularly important in the drive to automation in distribution centres.

Mezzanines are an intermediate level between the main floors of a building that are designed to create additional space. While often incorporated as part of the design of a new building, mezzanines can also be added to existing facilities as a cheaper, quicker and less disruptive means of creating more space than modifying the building itself or moving to larger premises.

Pulles tells me that the company is growing and possibly gaining market share, with recent projects in Czechia, Poland, France, Spain, Germany and in the UK, where the firm is headquartered. On average thirty site installations are completed each year, with a 3-4 month project time. Working with the materials handling integrators, such as Witron, Fortna and Viastore, the mezzanines installed always follow competitive tenders.

“Mezzanine floors are very useful for pallet conveyors, where we aim to reduce vibration, as well as for overhead hanging garment systems. Often, we install different mezzanines in different areas of the DC.” Pulles states. “We only do project installations now, with more engineering and added value.”

Cube Storage Base

MiTek work directly with ASRS experts AutoStore, supplying mezzanines under the grid for the picking tunnel. “We know the requirements for an AutoStore installation so we can tell the integrator what is needed,” Pulles says, referring to over twenty such installations which can either feature a triple stack or positioning the ASRS on top of a mezzanine level, with a minimum 2m clearance height on the top of the grid. “We build fire escape routes on top, plus access for maintenance – all the extras and necessities.”

Component Supply Chain

MiTek, being British, has been partly impacted by post-Brexit export red tape, but the company no longer sources all its material from the UK and uses local European suppliers for steel and timber, as well as local project managers.

What about new build DCs with mezzanines compared to retrofitting existing sites to add new floors? “They’re about 50-50 for us,” Pulles (pictured, below) informs me. “In order to re-fit and add space we have to empty that area of the warehouse first. The mezzanines have a 20 year lifespan, but the need for new materials handling equipment usually comes before that time is up.” The company takes care to align levels with existing signs and exit infrastructure when re-fitting. “The steel is all free-standing so it’s possible to take it all down as there’s no concrete.”

On to the Next Level

Probably the largest MiTek mezzanine installation so far was for British retailer NEXT, a complex project totalling 100,000sq.m. and reaching 24m in height with five storeys. Working with integrators Knapp, the MiTek team facilitated the installation of spiral chutes into voids between the floors, engineering special supporting steelwork to help lift in and position the chutes. A key component was the a pallet transfer platform to support conveyors that move pallet loads from the automated store down to operations on the ground floor. This 1800sq.m platform alone featured 400t of steelwork, comprising 3000 beams, 6000 cold-rolled joists and 350 columns.

Interroll Holding AG has today announced that it has acquired Royal Apollo Group, a Netherlands-based provider of vertical conveying, logistic and baling solutions.

Headquartered in the Netherlands and founded nearly 180 years ago, Royal Apollo Group provides vertical conveying solutions, including spiral conveyor systems, and also operates in the logistics systems and baling markets. The Group has three manufacturing sites and a global sales, service and spare parts organization supporting customers across the full system lifecycle, from installation and commissioning to maintenance, modernization, and parts supply.

“With this acquisition, we add Royal Apollo Group’s spiral conveyor technology to Interroll’s conveying portfolio, closing a gap in our offering and strengthening our lifecycle services and spare parts business,” said Markus Asch, CEO of Interroll. “The businesses are complementary, and we will focus on integration and making this product range available to our customers and system integrators worldwide as well as new customers that we will be able to reach thanks to this move”.

This acquisition strengthens Interroll’s equity value proposition by enhancing the strategic fit and resilience of our portfolio, expanding our addressable market, and unlocking value through global scale, cross-selling, and lifecycle services.

“Royal Apollo Group is joining Interroll,” said Claudia van den Pol, CEO and owner of Royal Apollo Group. “This move gives us access to Interroll’s much wider global network, an opportunity we would not have had if we remained independent. Our products and services complement Interroll’s offering well, and together we will combine our strengths to align product development, operations, and go-to-market activities over time.”

Following the acquisition, Interroll will focus on strengthening its vertical conveying activities and expanding lifecycle services and spare parts support, aligned with Interroll’s Global Platforms strategy and Global Lifetime Service. Signing and closing of the transaction took place simultaneously on May 7th, 2026. The purchase price remains undisclosed.

All successful logistics partnerships come down to problem solving at pace, including in the development of warehousing and distribution centres, according to Danny Bostock (pictured, below) of Prologis UK.

The phrase ‘time is money’ has never been as relevant as in today’s logistics market. With the pressure on to meet the rising expectation of next day deliveries, businesses are wasting no time in getting their logistics spaces up to the standard now required.

And in a market where trends move rapidly, logistics developers need to deliver facilities that are well located, compliant and fitted with reliable technology.

It’s all in the fit-out

Operators looking to meet consumer delivery expectations, require high-functioning logistics bases in the right places. The UK is seeing an uptick in international third-party logistics providers and e-commerce fulfilment businesses entering the market – who tend operate to tight contractual obligations for customers who expect seamless delivery.

Businesses setting up or expanding operations in the UK need logistics space that enables a fast and efficient fit-out. Certain elements are always required, so forward-thinking developers are incorporating these features upfront rather than leaving them to be added later. This approach not only accelerates the move-in process but also enhances the overall quality and functionality of the space.

That starts with the fit-out. Increasingly, customers are looking for facilities where essential elements are already in place from day one. Prologis responds to this need, incorporating key features such as power infrastructure, office space and welfare facilities upfront. By reducing the need for extensive on-site works post-handover, customers can move faster, reduce complexity and begin operations sooner.

It is also important to remember that compliance varies from country to country, so setting up operations in the UK for the first time can be fraught with complications for overseas operators. International or not, customers need a trusted partner that understands local regulation and who can operate as an extension of their business, expertly taking care of the challenges involved in setting up a new facility. Customers want logistics solutions that combine state-of-the-art design, exceptional procurement strategy and fully compliant project management, and are willing to invest when laying the groundwork to reap the rewards down the line.

Thinking ahead

A major part of successful logistics operations is the ability to plan for what comes next. Whilst future requirements may not always be clear, ensuring a space can support both current and evolving operations is critical.

Servicing a high-density customer base at pace requires efficient ways of working. Automated storage and retrieval systems are enabling warehouses to be operational 24/7 – helping to meet next day delivery demands without straining the workforce. Recent research from Prologis found that approximately 30 per cent of modern logistics spaces now include automation, up from 20-25 per cent five years ago. Given this growth, automation is becoming a key element of fit-outs as customers look to invest in their futureproofing solutions.

What’s next?

The logistics market never stops evolving, and neither does the speed at which things change; there is no such thing as a ‘generic’ warehouse anymore, with every solution requiring a bespoke and considered approach. Solving customer pain points requires strategic, cross-functional collaboration, and as providers, we must remember that there a lot of things that our customers won’t know they need. It is our job to consult our customers, fully understand their requirements and always raise the bar for competitors.

Are your delivery operations just “good enough,” or are they truly optimized for the future? This question is vital in today’s rapidly evolving logistics landscape, where customer expectations, technology, and sustainability goals are constantly shifting.

In this episode of Logistics Business Conversations, we explore how logistics companies can go beyond traditional methods and transform their delivery networks to stay competitive, efficient, and customer-centric. Drawing insights from industry expert, Gary Rosier-Taylor of Descartes, we delve into practical strategies for rethink delivery networks, leverage technology effectively, and prepare for the future.

Whether you’re managing a small fleet or a sprawling logistics operation, understanding these concepts can help you make smarter decisions today that secure long-term success.

Key Highlights:

• Rethink Traditional Methods: Avoid the pitfalls of piecemeal growth and explore innovative solutions for a streamlined network.
• Leverage Technology: Learn how AI and machine learning can revolutionize route planning and execution.
• Embrace Sustainability: Understand the role of electric and alternative fuels in creating a greener logistics landscape.

Gary shares practical tips and real-world examples that can help you transform your logistics operations. Whether you’re a small operator or a large fleet manager, these insights are crucial for staying competitive in today’s market.

Listen now to gain valuable knowledge and take your delivery network to the next level. Embed the player below to tune in directly!

Transit packaging material prices have been severely impacted by the conflict in the Middle East. But unlike other areas of business operation, there are clear ways of mitigating the risks and reducing costs, writes Chris More (pictured, below), UK Sales Director at Packsize.

Conflict in the Gulf has had an immediate, severe, and probably long-lasting impact on packaging material costs and it is easy to feel helpless in the face of this turmoil. However, shippers can take back an element of control in one simple move – by using the right size box.

On manual, or even semi-automated, packing lines when packing an assortment of goods into a single box or carton, the temptation is always to reach for a box that is safely (or too often, grossly) larger than that strictly required. But this is inherently wasteful, and under the present circumstances, increasingly expensive.

However, by exploiting automated ‘right-size’ boxing technology businesses can combat waste and expense on three fronts.

1. Eliminate plastics
   With many of the familiar void fill products used in transit packaging, such as bubblewrap and Polystyrene shapes, made from plastic materials derived from oil and gas, prices for these products are bound to rise significantly. Since the start of the conflict the benchmark Brent crude has moved from $73 per barrel to well north of $100 and may yet go much further. Availability of these products are also likely to be impacted, as an increasing proportion of world supply now comes from the Gulf oil and gas producing countries themselves – both production facilities and of course shipping through the Straits of Hormuz are, to put it mildly, compromised. So why are businesses cramming these increasingly expensive materials – which are also environmentally unfriendly – into the voids of oversized packages? There is an alternative approach: by right-sizing, shippers can often eliminate the need for void fill – plastic or otherwise.
2. Use less board
   Fluted board of course doesn’t derive from petrochemicals. But the conversion processes, from timber to pulp, and then into board, are again energy intensive and unless the mills are fortunate enough to have easy access to hydro-electricity, energy bills will inevitably rise and with them the factory gate price of card and board.
   As timber has to be hauled out of often inaccessible locations, and as finished board delivered to users often at a considerable distance, pricing will also reflect increases in road diesel and ships’ bunkers.
   Packsize finds that its clients typically save up to 29% of their board costs by right sizing. Combined with the elimination of void fill, their bill for packaging materials can be reduced by 35% or more.
   It has also been noted that there is a general trend in e-commerce in particular, predating the current conflict or even the ‘cost of living’ crisis, for consumers to place a higher number of smaller orders. That means that packaging – including wasted packaging – tends to form a greater proportion of each consignment.
   In addition, if anyone needed further incentives to reduce packaging material use, the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility levies on packaging materials in the UK has added another layer of cost to transit packaging materials. Likewise, those operating in the EU or selling to that market will start to feel the impact of the EU’s Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulations when they are applied in August.
3. Save on transport
   That leads to our third front in the cost control battle. Transport fuel costs are often the very first area to react to this sort of crisis. By right sizing consignments, it is possible to load many more packages onto a single vehicle – in most cases it is volume, not weight, that is the ruling factor. With higher packing density there is greater potential to reduce the number of trucking journeys out of the distribution centre and ‘last mile’ couriers, using smaller vehicles, may be able to carry a full shift’s worth of drops rather than having to return to the depot for reloading.
   What’s more, savings in ‘volumetric weight’, the basis for charging by airlines and many other carriers, can be significant. These are economic and environmental benefits that are important at any time, but especially now.

Packsize’s automated ‘right size’ packaging solutions offer many other benefits, including high throughput, significant labour reductions and reduced scope for error and damage. These attributes ensure that payback is often measured in months rather than years, and in the current cost environment, the ‘right size’ proposition is ever more attractive.

Spanish fashion brand Flabelus has gone live with Bleckmann, a specialist in supply chain management for fashion and lifestyle brands, as its exclusive fulfilment partner in the UK. The brand, which manufactures the majority of its products at its factory in Elche, Spain, selected Bleckmann to help reduce lead times to its expanding UK customer base, spanning monobrand stores, retail partners and ecommerce. Bleckmann’s perceived expertise in omnichannel fulfilment excellence, combined with its advanced IT platform, made it a natural choice for this brand.

Authentic style, seamlessly delivered

Founded in 2020, Flabelus has built a loyal following – including a number of high-profile admirers – on the strength of its reputation for quality, craftsmanship and authentic design. That reputation has driven rapid growth over the past five years, with the brand now operating 31 owned stores across Spain, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Milan, London, Lisbon and Mexico City. In total, Flabelus’ signature espadrille designs are now available at 700 stores worldwide. As María Fernándes-Álva de Zunzunegui, Global Operations Director at Flabelus, explains:

“Prioritising the customer at every stage has been central to our growth, and we hold our partners to the same exacting standard. Bleckmann has demonstrated the ideal balance of logistical expertise and commitment to service excellence.”

Delivery speed is central to this commitment. All of Flabelus’ UK omnichannel fulfilment operations will be run from one of Bleckmann’s in-country distribution centres, in Burton-on-Trent, which is situated within the UK’s ‘logistics golden triangle’. This strategic location enables faster fulfilment times to both ecommerce and retail customers. With an extensive and well-established transportation network in the country, including a dedicated pool of ‘Local Hero’ last-mile partners ensures reliable nationwide reach. This is further supported by full integration with Flabelus’ ecommerce operations and inventory management systems, giving both teams real-time visibility across the entire fulfilment chain. This end-to-end omnichannel set-up gives Flabelus full oversight of the entire delivery cycle, from outbound to returns and exchanges – ensuring that all customer touchpoints can be optimised to reflect the brand’s premium positioning.

Navigating cross-border complexity

As Flabelus’ global footprint has grown, so too has the complexity of its cross-border logistics. Shipping from Spain to the UK brings a significant post-Brexit administrative workload: under current trade agreements, products originating in the EU benefit from zero-tariff treatment, but importers must provide valid proof of origin. Bleckmann’s dedicated customs teams – operating on both sides of the Channel and supported by an integrated customs framework – ensure efficient and compliant declaration filings, streamlining a complex and time-consuming process for the Flabelus team. In addition, Bleckmann’s growing presence in Spain, with established transportation networks and dedicated fulfilment hubs, ensures end-to-end supply chain oversight for all B2B and B2C orders.

Unburdening ambitious brands to focus on growth

The Flabelus launch is a strong example of Bleckmann’s approach to designing fulfilment solutions around the needs of the client – backed by decades of industry-specific experience. Every aspect of the partnership has been shaped to meet Flabelus’ operational requirements, unburdening them fully so they can accelerate their commercial ambitions. For example, warehousing space has flexibility built in, providing room to scale as Flabelus continues to grow its UK presence. As Fernando Sainz Martinez-Vara de Rey, Business Development Director at Bleckmann, said:

“Fast-growing brands need a partner who can manage the full picture – from freight forwarding and customs to warehousing, last-mile delivery and returns – so they can keep their focus firmly on growth. That’s our role.”

For many years, cybersecurity was seen as a technical topic. Something for IT to manage in the background. Firewalls, patches, antivirus software. Necessary, but not strategic. That time has passed, writes Andreas Anyuru (pictured below), CTO of Consafe Logistics.

Today, warehouse management systems and supply chain platforms are deeply embedded in business operations. They control goods flows, automation, robotics, transport bookings and customer deliveries. When they stop, operations stop. Revenue stops. Customer trust is tested.

Cybersecurity in logistics is therefore no longer an IT issue. It is a business continuity issue. A board level issue. A leadership issue.

A new risk landscape for supply chains

We often read about ransomware attacks or large scale data breaches in the news. What is less visible is how these incidents usually begin. They rarely start with a dramatic break in. More often, they begin quietly with a known vulnerability in widely used technology.

A vendor releases a security patch. Some companies update immediately. Others postpone. Operations are running. Peak season is approaching. Testing takes time. The upgrade is moved to the next quarter.
Meanwhile, attackers automate their scans. They look for systems that have not been updated. And they find them.

In supply chain environments, the consequences are amplified. A warehouse management system does not only manage data. It controls physical operations. Conveyors, sorters, robotics, picking flows. Many run 24/7. Stopping them is not like restarting an office application. It can mean delayed deliveries, contractual penalties and reputational damage.

Several automotive manufacturers in Asia and the UK have in recent years had to halt production for weeks following cyber incidents. In some cases, the affected systems were believed to be isolated. The financial impact was significant. The operational impact even more so. The lesson is clear. Isolation is not protection. Complexity is not security.

Is supply chain lagging behind?

Many tier 1 and tier 2 companies in Europe have made impressive investments in automation, digitalization and integration. WMS platforms are connected to ERP, transport management systems, automation providers and cloud services. This connectivity drives efficiency and visibility across the value chain. But connectivity also increases the attack surface.

At the same time, we still see environments running on legacy platforms that are no longer supported. Upgrades are postponed because operations are stable. “If it works, why change it?” is an understandable question from an operational perspective. From a cybersecurity perspective, it is a growing liability.

A recent example illustrates this well. A serious vulnerability was disclosed in a widely used framework behind many modern applications. A patch was released immediately. For companies running supported platforms, the vulnerability could be mitigated as part of normal maintenance. For those on unsupported platforms, there was no patch available. The exposure remained.

The vulnerability itself was not unique. New ones will continue to appear. The real difference was the ability to respond.

Cybersecurity maturity is about response

No company can guarantee that vulnerabilities will never occur. What defines maturity is the ability to act when they do.

This requires more than tools. It requires governance, processes and alignment between IT and operations. It requires clarity on who owns risk. It requires a clear upgrade path and the discipline to follow it.

It also requires recognizing that cybersecurity is a continuous investment, not a one time project.
Standards such as ISO 27001 provide a structured way to work with information security. Regular audits, threat modeling, secure development practices and penetration testing all contribute to reducing risk over time. Real time monitoring of SaaS environments and automated vulnerability scanning help detect suspicious behavior early.

But even the most robust framework cannot compensate for outdated, unsupported software. If a platform cannot be updated, it cannot be secured.

Questions every leadership team should ask

For C level leaders in supply chain intensive businesses, the conversation needs to shift from technical detail to strategic oversight. Some important questions to reflect on:
• Do we know which of our critical supply chain systems are running on supported platforms?
• How quickly can we apply security patches without disrupting operations?
• Is there a clear, funded roadmap for upgrades and modernization?
• Are IT and operations aligned on risk ownership and incident response?
• Do we regularly test our resilience, not only our prevention?
These are not IT questions. They are business resilience questions.

Why this matters now

Supply chains are more digital, more connected and more automated than ever. At the same time, geopolitical uncertainty and organized cybercrime are increasing. Attackers understand the leverage in disrupting logistics. When goods stop moving, the impact cascades quickly across industries.

Trust is hard to build and easy to lose. Customers expect reliability. Investors expect stability. Regulators expect due diligence. Cybersecurity in logistics is therefore about protecting more than systems. It is about protecting operations, reputation and long-term competitiveness.

A shared responsibility

We believe that cybersecurity in supply chain environments must be treated as a shared responsibility between technology providers and customers. Vendors must design secure, updateable platforms and work systematically with security. Customers must prioritize supported environments and continuous improvement.

Together, we can move the discussion from reacting to incidents to building resilience. Because the real question is no longer whether cyber threats will continue to grow. They will. The real question is whether our supply chains are prepared to respond. And that is a leadership decision.

Hydrogen fuel cell developer Intelligent Energy is supporting the ‘Lighter than Aire’ (LtA) Hydrogen Valley project by powering a fleet of up to 40 warehousing trucks across two major logistics hubs in Yorkshire and Humber.

Backed by the EU through the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, the €20 million LtA project aims to accelerate large-scale hydrogen adoption across logistics, industry and mobility. Centred around the River Aire between Bradford and Leeds and positioned along a key transport route connecting Liverpool and Hull, the project focuses on real world deployment in one of the UK’s busiest logistics corridors.

As a programme partner, Intelligent Energy – working alongside Briggs Equipment UK Ltd, a UK distributor for Hyster-Yale Materials Handling – will deploy fuel cell powered forklift trucks equipped with its IE LIFT™ battery box replacement (BBR) units. The trucks will enter operation from June 2028 and will support warehousing across two major logistics hubs in the valley.

IE-LIFT is a drop-in replacement for traditional industrial battery tanks, integrating a fuel cell, buffer battery and hydrogen storage into a single compact unit. Refuelling takes around three minutes, eliminating long charging cycles while retaining the quiet, zero-emission operation of electric drive. IE’s systems are already in commercial use in demanding environments, including BMW’s manufacturing sites in Germany.

Each IE-LIFT system offers more than 30,000 hours of service life and integrates seamlessly into a wide range of standard forklift classes without compromising payload capacity or manoeuvrability. David Fields, Head of Product Line, IE-POWER at Intelligent Energy, said:

“The US market has set the pace in hydrogen intralogistics, with fuel cell-powered forklift trucks operating at Walmart, Amazon and other major organisations over the past decade. Our fuel cells are proven to be robust, durable and efficient, following a successful deployment at BMW’s Leipzig plant since 2023. This project gives us the opportunity to deploy our IE-LIFT technology on home soil, and to demonstrate its value to operators across Europe.”

The LtA Hydrogen Valley aims to remove barriers to hydrogen adoption by linking production, distribution and end use within a single regional ecosystem. In addition to material handling, the project will support the rollout of more than 150 hydrogen passenger transport vehicles, with the aim of achieving near- diesel operating cost parity through centralised supply.

By embedding hydrogen-powered equipment within active logistics sites, the project will demonstrate hydrogen’s potential to cut emissions while improving operational efficiency. For Intelligent Energy, the deployment marks a step towards wider adoption of hydrogen fuel cells in UK warehousing and intralogistics – sectors where fast refuelling, predictable duty cycles and high utilisation make hydrogen a strong operational fit.