A NEW FLIGHT PATH

“We’re Australia’s largest aeromedical aviation operation, and that includes rotary-wing, fixed-wing, and uncrewed – it is a unique proposition for a business to undertake all three.” 

Utilising state-of-the-art helicopters, aeroplanes, and uncrewed aerial systems, Toll Aviation (Toll) is a trusted provider of crewed and uncrewed specialised operations and training.  

The company delivers both standalone and integrated solutions to support the government, defence, and civil sectors in Australia. 

“We focus on aeromedical services for various state and territory governments and similar service provisions around aviation support for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and other defence forces regionally,” outlines Scott Watkins, Senior Vice President of Toll Aviation.

Watkins has always been interested in military aviation and, for around 25 years, was a helicopter pilot in the Australian Army, one of three service branches that comprise the ADF. 

In September 2016, he stepped out of the military and joined Toll Group, who at the time was mobilising Australia’s largest aeromedical helicopter contract for NSW Health. 

“I started working for the business in the early stages of that contract and have been here ever since,” Watkins tells us. 

UNCREWED POTENTIAL

Toll is currently seeing growing demand for helicopters in the rotary-wing space, as well as a number of opportunities in fixed-wing aircraft. 

Whilst the uncrewed business is currently its smallest function, this is likewise expected to grow over time.  

“We acquired a successful drone business in 2023 that we felt could integrate into our business and grow. They’re a key part of our broader strategy and the diversification of our offering,” he outlines. 

“You don’t need to be an expert in aviation to understand there’s going to be significant growth in this area, so we need to be well positioned to take advantage of that.” 

As with its rotary- and fixed-wing business, Toll is focused on government and defence contracts for its uncrewed portfolio. 

“From our experience, those customers have been asking us over the last few years to provide an uncrewed solution,” Watkins informs us. 

“They love what they get from our crewed capability and want that replicated in an uncrewed service provision.” 

The greatest strength of Toll’s uncrewed systems capability lies in its expertise navigating both Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)-regulated and defence airspace requirements, which makes the company unique in the market.  

However, whilst there’s a lot of potential within its uncrewed portfolio, the industry maturity isn’t quite there yet. 

“That’s in relation to how it’s going to be funded, what customers actually want, and how much they’re prepared to pay,” explains Watkins. 

“I’m sure we’ll see cost reductions over time, but the reality is it’s not just about what you’re going to save in relation to cost. It is another saving in terms of, say, risk; you accept less risk as a result of using a drone for a certain task as opposed to somebody flying an aircraft, so it’s an interesting space,” he notes. 

STATE-OF-THE-ART TRAINING

Alongside rotary-wing, fixed-wing, and uncrewed, Toll’s fourth portfolio is it’s The Aeromedical Crewing Excellence (ACE) Training Centre, which provides state-of-the-art training for aircrew and aviation clinical staff. 

This purpose-built centre of excellence, located at Bankstown Airport (BWU) in Sydney, offers world-class aviation and aeromedical training facilities, highly realistic mission simulation technology, and some of the industry’s most experienced instructors. 

“The ACE Training Centre has an enviable reputation in terms of the quality of training it delivers through simulation,” acclaims Watkins. 

Toll has been developing an exciting new training concept, the Mixed Augmented Virtual Reality (MAV) simulator, in a collaborative research partnership with the University of New South Wales (UNSW).  

MAV leverages cutting-edge extended reality (XR) technology, allowing crew members to move within a physical cabin of an AW139 whilst being fully immersed in an interactive virtual environment.  

This advanced system enables air and medical teams to interact with role-specific equipment, cabin doors, simulated monitors, and treat patients realistically.  

Meanwhile, aircrew can navigate in real time using electronic flight bags, flying through high-resolution satellite-mapped landscapes to familiarise themselves with local areas and rehearse mission scenarios. 

“MAV has been years in the making, and our clients are thrilled. It’s great to see our investment in innovation translate directly to training outcomes, and it complements the ACE Training Centre’s Aquatic Rescue Theatre and AW139 Full Flight Simulator,” highlights Watkins.

MANAGING GROWTH

Toll is a growing business. 

This includes mobilising a new contract in South Australia, which will take up a lot of bandwidth and attention for senior management. 

“We’re also mobilising a second contract next year in a similar time frame,” Watkins reveals. 

Concurrent to these contracts, there are a number of fixed-wing and uncrewed opportunities the company will be pursuing. 

However, Watkins acknowledges that Toll’s growth requires careful management. 

“We’ve taken a deliberate decision to continue focusing on and prioritising our culture, values, and purpose in a well-managed way because, in the end, that is what has made us successful. 

“Trying to retain those elements that have made you successful in a larger organisation poses real challenges, but we’re protecting them as best we can as we grow.

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The UK ports industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience over recent years.  

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the sector has continued to adapt to changing global trading patterns, geopolitical uncertainty, inflationary pressures, supply chain disruption, and evolving regulatory requirements. 

At the same time, ports have become increasingly central to delivering national priorities.  

Indeed, they are playing an essential role in supporting offshore wind, handling new energy products, facilitating the transition to net zero, and strengthening supply chain resilience.  

Further, as the UK government looks at national resilience, ports are increasingly seen as vital hubs that can also support military defence and mobilisation. 

The industry additionally continues to invest at significant levels; since the pandemic, UK port investments have exceeded £1 billion a year on average.  

Unlike many countries, most UK ports operate commercially without routine government subsidies, reinvesting profits into infrastructure and services.  

That commercial model has enabled billions of pounds of private investment across the sector, although planning, consenting, grid connections, and wider infrastructure remain challenges that need continued attention. 

The importance of ongoing investment in port infrastructure is demonstrated by the growth in container traffic at UK ports in 2025, which increased by 10 percent to 66.9 million tonnes (t). 

This was driven by strong import demand and additional capacity at DP World London Gateway, the UK’s most advanced integrated logistics hub. 

Overall, UK ports handled 428.3 million t of freight last year – a slight decrease of less than one percent compared to 2024. 

Despite overall freight volumes remaining broadly stable, significant changes in the types of cargo moving through UK ports reflect wider shifts in trade, energy, and the economy. 

Whilst consumer traffic increased, liquid bulk traffic fell by two percent due to continued declines in crude oil movements linked to changing North Sea production and refinery activity. 

Roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) traffic likewise decreased by two percent last year, although it remained the second-largest cargo category handled by UK ports.  

Dry bulk traffic also shrank by three percent, continuing longer-term reductions in traditional bulk commodities such as coal and ores. 

However, the decline in these traditional bulk cargoes reflects structural changes in the wider economy, rather than the performance of the ports themselves.  

Q&A WITH RICHARD BALLANTYNE OBE, CEO, BRITISH PORTS ASSOCIATION

Our latest catch-up with the British Ports Association and CEO, Richard Ballantyne OBE, outlines the strong investment in decarbonisation and infrastructure across UK ports in recent years.

We previously featured the British Ports Association in July 2022. Could you reintroduce us to the association and your aims?

Richard Ballantyne OBE, CEO (RB): The British Ports Association (BPA) is the national trade association for ports and harbours across the UK and the voice of the ports industry.

Our members range from the country’s largest commercial ports handling global trade through to smaller regional ports, passenger gateways, fishing and community harbours, and specialised terminals. Collectively, they are responsible for 88 percent of the UK’s seaborne trade.

BPA’s role is to represent the interests of the sector to governments and regulators, provide a forum for collaboration across the industry, and promote the importance of ports to the wider economy.

Ports are critical national infrastructure, supporting around 95 percent of the UK’s international trade by volume, facilitating energy security, offshore renewables, manufacturing, fishing, tourism, and regional economic growth.

Our aim is to ensure public policy recognises the strategic importance of ports whilst allowing the sector to continue investing and operating on a commercial basis.

Unlike other trade organisations, we are open to all and have an inclusive membership approach, accessible outlook, and strong rules on governance and accountability.

How does BPA represent the interests of British ports to the UK and international governments?

RB: We engage with ministers, parliamentarians, civil servants, and regulators across a wide range of government agencies and departments on behalf of our members, both in Westminster and the devolved assemblies.

That includes following transport, trade, energy, planning, environment, border policy, security, marine and fisheries, tourism, and employment issues, reflecting the breadth of activities that ports support.

BPA also works closely with the UK government, the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales and, where appropriate, international organisations and governments on issues affecting maritime trade.

We respond to consultations, provide technical expertise, organise industry working groups, and facilitate dialogue between policymakers and the sector.

In terms of our wider reach, we have indirect representation at EU and UN/International Maritime Organisation (IMO) level.

Also within our network are a number of ports located in the Crown Dependencies and a host of specialist industry advisers, suppliers, and consultancies, adding to the strength of knowledge we provide across our sector.

One of our strengths is that we represent ports of every type of ownership model and size. This allows us to present a balanced industry perspective whilst ensuring the needs of different types of ports are understood. We do this for all UK ports, even the handful that are outside BPA.

Can you tell us more about the decarbonisation of British ports and what role BPA plays in this?

RB: Decarbonisation is one of the defining challenges and opportunities facing the ports sector.

Every port is different, with varying cargoes, business models, and operational requirements, so there is no single pathway to net zero.

Many ports are investing in equipment electrification, renewable energy generation, alternative fuels, shore power, and more efficient buildings and vehicles, whilst also enabling the wider energy transition by supporting offshore wind, carbon capture, hydrogen, and other emerging industries.

Encouraging our varied types of customers to match the pace has been a challenge and the high electricity prices in the UK puts the ports sector at a competitive disadvantage.

BPA works closely with government and industry with the aim of ensuring public policy supports these investments. We facilitate knowledge sharing between ports, engage on funding and regulation, contribute to the development of national decarbonisation strategies, and advocate for practical approaches that recognise commercial realities.

We also work to ensure policy reflects the diversity of UK ports, rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.

What developments and investments have there been in ports and logistics infrastructure?

RB: Investment across UK ports remains strong. Over recent years, we have seen significant spending on quay infrastructure, deep-water berths, logistics parks, digital technologies, passenger and cargo handling equipment, fuel and maritime services, and facilities supporting offshore wind and other clean energy industries.

Many ports are also expanding warehousing and distribution facilities to improve supply chain efficiency and support manufacturing and exports.

Investment in automation, digitalisation, and security is helping ports improve productivity whilst maintaining resilience.

However, investment decisions increasingly depend on efficient planning processes, timely regulatory decisions, and supporting infrastructure such as road, rail, and electricity networks.

Ensuring these wider systems keep pace with private investment is becoming ever more important.

How do you see the British ports industry developing by the end of the decade?

RB: I expect UK ports to become increasingly diversified. Traditional cargo handling will remain fundamental, with a greater focus on unitised activities, but ports will also become major hubs for renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, logistics, offshore maintenance, and low-carbon fuels.

Digital technologies and greater automation will continue to improve efficiency, whilst resilience and security will remain high priorities given the increasingly uncertain global trading environment.

The industry will continue investing, but maintaining competitiveness will require proportionate regulation, efficient planning systems, and policies that encourage private investment.

If these conditions are in place, UK ports will continue to play a vital role in supporting economic growth and achieving the UK’s wider industrial and environmental ambitions.

Lastly, what are BPA’s key priorities in order to continue representing the interests of British ports?

RB: Our priorities remain focused on ensuring that ports can continue to invest, compete, and support economic growth.

That means working with governments on planning reform, infrastructure investment, border policy, decarbonisation, energy, skills, security, and regulation.

We also want to ensure policymakers fully recognise the commercial nature of the UK ports sector and the significant private investment that underpins it.

At the same time, we will continue supporting our members through events, training, technical working groups, and opportunities to share best practices.

As the industry continues to evolve, BPA’s role in bringing ports together and providing a strong, unified voice will become even more important.

BRITISH PORTS ASSOCIATION PARTNER

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SPOTLIGHT ON EUROPEAN SUBSEA CABLES

The European subsea cable industry is rapidly evolving, driven by the increasing demand for high-speed data transmission, cloud computing, hyperscale data centres, and international internet connectivity.  

Subsea cables serve as essential connectors and enablers in our daily lives, forming the backbone of the dynamic energy and digital sectors. These complex networks, often extending deep beneath the ocean’s surface, transmit electricity and data across vast distances. 

In particular, the European subsea cable industry plays a crucial role in this infrastructure, connecting countries and facilitating advancements in technology and renewable energy initiatives. Through these underwater connections, resources can be harnessed and information shared more efficiently than ever, fostering innovation and connectivity in our interwoven world. 

Indeed, the subsea cable market is projected to reach USD$13.30 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.39 percent from 2026 to 2033. Key drivers include the rapid expansion of offshore wind energy projects, deployment of submarine communication cable systems, and rising investments in cross-border electricity interconnectors.  

Additionally, technological advancements in high-voltage cable systems, high-voltage direct current transmission, and durable cable insulation materials are enhancing project efficiency and reliability. 

To safeguard these vital connections, the EU is actively investing in legal, technological, and military measures. However, achieving resilience requires coordinated action across member states, private operators, and international partners to protect connectivity, economic stability, and security. 

European subsea cables face several risks and threats of damage, including abrasion, ocean currents, and seismic activity. Accidental damage also often results from fishing equipment or ship anchors, whilst the risk of intentional threats and cybersecurity have increased attention of governments in recent years.  

These cables carry trillions of dollars in daily financial transactions, support military communications, and enable cross-border energy flows, making them critical infrastructure. 

Therefore, the resilience and advancement of the European subsea cable industry is vital not only for technological progress and renewable energy integration, but also maintaining global connectivity and security in an increasingly interdependent world.

Q&A WITH THE EUROPEAN SUBSEA CABLES ASSOCIATION

We sit down with the European Subsea Cables Association to explore the integral role of the subsea cable industry in meeting Europe’s evolving energy needs and dynamic digital demands. Featuring insights from Executive Director, John Wrottesley, and Chair, Steve Holden, we uncover the strategies driving the future of subsea infrastructure.

The European Subsea Cables Association (ESCA) is a forum for companies involved in the ownership, operation, installation, maintenance, and supply of submarine cables in European and nearby waters, focusing on telecommunications (telecoms), power, and offshore renewables. 

As a non-commercial, member-led association, ESCA promotes marine safety and protects submarine cables from hazards. Its members have interests across the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Irish Sea, Atlantic approaches, and Mediterranean. 

ESCA holds Observer Status with the OSPAR Commission and is a member of the Seabed User & Developer Group (SUDG), which promotes cross-sector cooperation for sustainable development in increasingly busy marine spaces, advocating for early communication between marine industries and good practices to minimise conflicts.  

The association provides technical evidence to the European Commission and national regulators and manages the Kingfisher Information Service – Offshore Renewable & Cable Awareness (KIS-ORCA), a free cable awareness resource for fishermen and mariners in Northwest Europe. 

ESCA is run by a small, experienced Secretariat, whose lean structure draws on its members’ expertise, under an elected Executive Committee. 

It collaborates with governments, regulators, and policymakers to share technical expertise and ensure decision-makers have accurate information. When taking a public stance, the association invites others to collaborate. 

Addressing the complexities of subsea cables that cross national boundaries, ESCA engages with the European Commission and national government departments, maintains its OSPAR Observer Status, and supports the Valentia Island Symposium on Subsea Cable Security and Resilience. In addition, ESCA works closely with other subsea cable associations such as the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), Danish Cable Protection Committee (DKCPC), and wider stakeholder groups for other marine industry groups across Europe to support collaboration. 

Moreover, the association partners with academic and scientific organisations to ensure access to quality, neutral data concerning subsea cables in the marine environment, focusing on evidence rather than specific conclusions.

Firstly, could you talk us through the origins of ESCA, its inception, and initial mission and vision?

ESCA: It is worth starting a little earlier than ESCA itself, because the industry we represent began in European waters.  

The first successful permanent transatlantic telegraph cable ran from Valentia Island in County Kerry, Ireland to Heart’s Content in Newfoundland, Canada at the western end, completed in 1866 after the celebrated failure of 1858. The questions operators of that cable faced about protection, repair, and coexistence with other sea users are recognisably the issues the industry still works on today. 

ESCA’s roots run back much further than its name. The first international body dedicated to protecting undersea cables, the Cable Damage Committee, formed in 1958, became the ICPC in 1967. Four decades later, it became clear that European waters, amongst the busiest and most contested stretches of seabed anywhere in the world, needed a regional forum of their own. 

The UK Cable Protection Committee was established in 1999 by companies that own and operate cables in UK waters. It became Subsea Cables UK in 2011 and, in 2016, adopted its present name to reflect a membership and workload that had long since stopped at the UK’s territorial limit. 

The founding mission has barely changed – promoting marine safety and safeguarding submarine cables from man-made and natural hazards. Those two aims sit together deliberately.  

When fishing gear snags a cable, the result is not only a service outage; it’s a serious risk to the life of the crew aboard that vessel, and commercial fishing remains one of the most dangerous occupations in Europe. Preventing cable faults and keeping people safe at sea are, in practice, the same piece of work.  

What has changed is the breadth of the membership. ESCA began as a telecoms body and today brings together telecoms and data cables, power interconnectors, offshore transmission owners (OFTOs), island and festoon systems, offshore renewables export and inter-array cables, and the supply chain that installs, maintains, and repairs all of them, alongside government and regulator participants from a number of European countries. 

ESCA is a non-commercial forum focused on sharing technical information and best practices, not a marketplace or lobby group. It provides decision-makers with the technical input necessary for informed decisions without campaigning for commercial outcomes. 

Steve Holden, Chair (SH): We were founded on an idea that hasn’t dated, which is that protection of subsea cables and protection of lives at sea and maritime safety go hand in hand. Protect the cable and, through active liaison, safeguard the crew of all inshore and offshore maritime users, and everything downstream of that cable benefits. Everything else we do flows from these basic principles. 

How is the subsea cable industry addressing the growing demand for digital connectivity and energy security?

ESCA: Two demand curves are rising at once, and they are sharing the same seabed. 

On the digital side, subsea cables carry over 99 percent of intercontinental data traffic, and the current wave of investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud infrastructure is driving both new cable systems and far higher capacity on existing routes, with hyperscalers now investing directly alongside carriers.  

On the energy side, Europe has around 39 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity installed, and WindEurope expects roughly a further 34 GW of offshore build from 2026 to 2030, alongside a steady increase in interconnectors. None of that reaches shore without subsea cables. 

Geography shapes where the pressure falls. Ireland sits at the western edge of Europe, and its exclusive economic zone, seven times the size of its land area, carries most transatlantic data traffic to the continent. The Baltic and North Seas combine dense shipping, extensive fishing activity, and Europe’s fastest offshore wind buildout.  

The Mediterranean carries the routes linking Europe to Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Each of these has a different mix of users, regulators, and risks, which is one reason a European forum is more useful than a purely national one. 

The industry’s response has three strands. The first is promoting diversity by design – more routes, landing points, and system-level redundancy, so cable faults do not disrupt the end user. The second is investment in capacity, meaning manufacturing, installation vessels, and long-term maintenance agreements. The third, and the one ESCA is directly concerned with, is coordination. 

Policy has moved quickly to keep pace. The EU Action Plan on Cable Security, adopted in February 2025, has since produced the Cable Security Toolbox, a list of 13 Cable Projects of European Interest (CPEI) to guide investment over the next 15 years. 

ESCA contributes technical input to that work and consultations run by European bodies, and its consistent message is that measures need to be designed alongside the operators who will have to deliver them. 

This is where ESCA stands out. It is one of the very few places where telecoms, power, and offshore renewables collaborate, and where these sectors engage with governments to exchange technical advice and information. 

Historically, they have used the same seabed with different regulators, standards, and vocabularies. When a wind farm export cable and transatlantic cable system want to deploy in the same area or close to each other, or when an offshore wind farm export cable has to cross an in-service interconnector, these types of situations need to be resolved technically and early.  

ESCA’s Guidelines do exactly that, covering the proximity of offshore renewable energy installations to cable infrastructure, rock placement, power cable installation and repair, crossing arrangements, and much more. 

Energy and digital security have become the same conversation in government. It helps that, within ESCA, they have already been the same conversation in industry for a decade. 

John Wrottesley, Executive Director (JW): Connectivity and energy security now depend on the same seabed and a limited supply of vessels and people. It is vital to consider the differences, but treating them as entirely separate policy areas can create bottlenecks in both. 

What specific challenges does the industry face in enhancing this critical infrastructure?

ESCA: There are several, but three come up consistently. 

First, repair and maintenance capacity: in 2025, ESCA and the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) issued a joint statement warning of emerging gaps in Europe’s ability to repair its own undersea infrastructure.  

The repair vessel fleet is ageing, strategic spares and equipment reserves need investment, and the sector faces a generational transition in a specialised offshore workforce. Power cable repairs are particularly complex, and inconsistent processes between neighbouring states can hold up cross-border repairs. Building new cable is only half of the resilience picture; the other half is repairing it quickly. 

Secondly, regulatory fragmentation and permitting. Rules made for other purposes, whether environmental permitting, maritime spatial planning, or maritime transport, routinely produce unintended consequences for cables. Complex authorisation procedures can delay new systems and, more seriously, slow emergency repairs where no expedited route exists.  

A cable that crosses four exclusive economic zones can encounter four different consenting regimes, four sets of environmental conditions, and four different definitions of what counts as an emergency.  

ESCA has consistently asked for two practical things: designated single points of contact for subsea cable policy at member state level, and consultation with operators whilst rules are being drafted rather than after they are made.  

That is how you arrive at resilience measures that are technically feasible and proportionate. Government departments from a number of countries are members of ESCA, and those countries have seen good outcomes from being part of the discussions that take place within industry and becoming aware of challenges naturally, rather than being informed only once a serious problem has arisen. 

Lastly, seabed congestion – marine protected areas, offshore wind, aggregates extraction, fishing, aquaculture, defence activity, and carbon storage are all competing for space. Marine spatial planning needs to account for a characteristic unique to cables: they are linear rather than confined to a single footprint. The best spatial plans incorporate the needs of future cable installation and repair from the outset. 

Framing is also an important consideration; since the incidents in the Baltic Sea, undersea cables have become a prominent security issue in the headlines. Whilst the increased attention on this sector is welcome and long overdue, the daily risk profile for the things which commonly damage cables has not changed.  

Policies based on sensational headlines rather than data often overlook the measures that could prevent most faults. However, the heightened focus has led to greater collaboration between industry and governments, which benefits everyone involved.   

What are some of the potential risks or threats to subsea cables, and how does ESCA monitor and protect them?

ESCA: The hazard list is long, and most of it is either accidental or natural in origin: commercial fishing gear, ship anchors, other human activities on the seabed, earthquakes and turbidity currents, underwater landslides, seabed mobility and abrasion, weather and climate effects, and collateral damage from marine incidents. 

ICPC records about 150 to 200 submarine telecoms cable faults globally each year, of which 70 to 80 percent are caused by accidental human activity, mainly fishing and anchors.  

The UK government says 97 percent of faults affecting UK cables result from fishing or anchor dragging. In practical terms, a subsea cable is damaged somewhere in the world roughly every three days. That frequency does not indicate a crisis; it reflects a well-understood operating condition the industry is built to absorb. 

It is worth separating three kinds of risk, because each calls for a different response – direct damage to the cable; impeded access to the water column and seabed, which delays repair; and clustering of systems, or limited access for future routing, which magnifies the consequences of both. 

ESCA should clarify its role here: it does not operate cables or monitor them in real time. Members do that, and national authorities lead on maritime security. ESCA brings a collective voice for the industry, improves the quality of information available to everyone with operational responsibility, shares experience between members, engages with all stakeholders, and helps improve safety, coordination, and cable awareness. 

In practice, that means promoting the charting and dissemination of route information through the hydrographic offices and KIS-ORCA, sustained awareness and education work with fishermen, mariners, offshore operators, and divers, a library of technical guidelines developed by member experts, structured liaison, and the provision of accurate technical evidence to governments, regulators, and European institutions. 

What measures ensure the integrity and resilience of subsea cables, and how do you respond to detected issues to minimise disruption?

ESCA: Protection begins long before installation. A desk study and detailed route survey identify hazards and other users of the area. Burial is the single most effective protection measure, and how deep to bury is an engineering judgement that balances cable protection, cost, and the route’s risk profile. 

After installation, the toolkit largely focuses on separation and information: separation distances from other activities, crossing agreements with other asset owners, cable protection zones, corridors where national frameworks provide for them, proper representation in marine spatial planning, and accurate charting through the hydrographic offices and KIS-ORCA.  

Behind all of that sits a legal framework of civil and criminal liability, supported by maritime guidance such as Marine Guidance Note (MGN) 661 and ESCA’s own guidance. 

When a fault occurs, the network itself is the first line of defence. Resilience and diversity of design, i.e. multiple systems, routes, and landings, mean most single faults never reach the end user. Repair vessels are then mobilised, usually under a standing maintenance agreement, and the cable is recovered, jointed, tested, and reburied.  

This is normally an emergency response because you can’t plan for the unexpected incidents that typically damage cables, so readiness is key. 

New technology is changing detection, not repair. Vessel behaviour analytics built on automatic identification system data can flag loitering or anchor dragging near a route in near real time.  

Distributed acoustic sensing and state-of-polarisation monitoring can support understanding of activities around the cable, and power cables increasingly carry distributed temperature sensing for condition monitoring. Improved seabed mobility modelling is making burial decisions smarter.  

The EU has recognised the need for further funding to support the subsea cable ecosystem, with close to €350 million committed in February 2026. Of that, €60 million is earmarked for cable repair equipment, €20 million for monitoring tools that can detect damage, and a further €20 million for faster repairs, with the Baltic Sea as the pilot region for rapid repair capability. 

JW: There is a lot of interest in what technology can do for cable protection, and rightly so. What we would add is that a cable is still repaired at sea, by a crew, bringing challenges of weather, maritime traffic, and all of the complexities of working in the oceans. Investment in monitoring is one thing, but it is vital to invest in people, skills, and typical cable protection techniques in policy and practice. 

What notable projects, events, or key initiatives is ESCA currently involved in?

ESCA: KIS-ORCA – Managed by ESCA with Seafish’s Kingfisher department, KIS-ORCA provides free, accurate, and regularly updated information on subsea cables and offshore renewable infrastructure to mariners and fishermen.  

It covers the North Sea, English Channel, Bristol Channel, Irish Sea, west of Scotland, and more widely across Europe and down to the Mediterranean, and is distributed as charts, plotter-compatible files, an interactive website, and the Kingfisher Bulletin app.  

Full members include their operational cable data in the system, with annual data calls managed through ESCA and Seafish. It is one of the clearest examples of the industry collectively funding the prevention of incidents that would otherwise fall to individual operators.  

Valentia Island Symposium on Subsea Cable Security and Resilience – ESCA has supported the symposium since its inception and remains one of its strongest supporters.  

Hosted by the Valentia Transatlantic Cable Foundation at the historic Valentia Transatlantic Cable Station, it brings government, industry, and academia together over several days and has become one of Europe’s most productive dialogues for working through the harder questions of cable security and resilience.  

Then-Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, addressed the inaugural symposium in October 2024, and the resulting report was launched on European Maritime Day in Cork, Ireland in May 2025.  

The second symposium, held in April 2026 on the theme of restoration and repair, was addressed by the Minister for Defence and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee, who set out Ireland’s National Maritime Security Strategy and intention to put maritime security and subsea infrastructure on the European agenda during its Presidency of the Council of the EU. 

The location is not incidental; Valentia Island has historical significance as the site of the first permanent transatlantic telegraph cable. The station buildings remain in remarkable condition, and the two sites together are the subject of a transnational UNESCO World Heritage bid, the Transatlantic Cable Ensemble, which sits on Ireland’s tentative list and is working towards formal nomination.  

For a largely invisible industry, having a physical place where its origins can be seen and visited matters more than it might sound and gives discussions about the network’s future an unusually long perspective. 

JW: Valentia Island is a remarkable place, and it works because industry, academia, and government are together across multiple days in a unique and historic location. The focus is on practical, shared dialogue, not just talking sessions. ESCA has supported it from the outset for exactly that reason. 

ESCA: Fishing Liaison Best Practice Guidelines – Launched in June 2026 and formally endorsed by the Minister for Digital Economy, Baroness Liz Lloyd, at a Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Whitehall Briefing on Subsea Cable Resilience. The guidelines were developed with fishing organisations and government departments through joint workshops in York and Cardiff and set out how early dialogue and open information sharing should work across the whole lifecycle of a cable project. 

Two plenary meetings each year – These are members’ meetings rather than commercial conferences. They bring together cable owners, operators, and the supply chain from across the industry, with governments, regulators, and policymakers attending as participants rather than an audience. 

Subsea Cable Awareness Workshop – ESCA’s dedicated forum for sharing information freely on how cables are installed and repaired and scientific evidence is a great place to start if you want to learn about subsea cables. 

Engagement with European institutions – The association responds to European consultations, contributes technical evidence to the European Commission’s work on cable security, and maintains working relationships with national departments and regulators across Europe. Several government departments are ESCA members in their own right, which means the technical conversation happens continuously rather than only when something goes wrong. 

Observer Status with the OSPAR Commission – Allows ESCA to contribute technical expertise and evidence to discussions on marine environmental protection and keep members informed of emerging policy. 

SUDG membership – Much of the cross-sector work with other marine industries happens here with a key focus on sustainable development. 

Sub-Groups and Working Groups – Six standing groups do the substantive work: the Maritime Sub-Group, Technical and Regulatory Sub-Group, Renewables and Power Cables Sub-Group, Next Generation Sub-Group, the Subsea Cable Decommissioning Working Group, and Southern Europe Sub-Group. 

NextGen – ESCA’s NextGen programme supports early-career professionals through training, outreach, and mentorship.  

In July 2026, ESCA’s Subsea Cables Summer Reception at BT Tower in London brought around 120 students and early-career professionals together with Baroness Lloyd, The Crown Estate, and industry leaders to talk about routes into the sector, including graduate schemes, apprenticeships, and vocational and technical training.  

There is no single way in, and the sector needs all of them. 

How does ESCA support its members in adopting sustainable practices and minimising their ecological footprint?

ESCA: The physical footprint of a subsea cable is small. A telecoms cable is roughly the diameter of a garden hose and buried wherever the seabed allows, but small is not the same as evidenced, and ESCA’s position is that decisions about the marine environment should rest on neutral, independent data rather than assumptions in either direction. 

Where evidence has been thin, precaution has often filled the gap. That is understandable, but it is not a substitute for data. 

ESCA’s Observer Status with the OSPAR Commission allows the association to contribute technical expertise directly to discussions on marine environmental protection and help ensure guidance reflects how cables are actually designed, installed, and maintained.  

Where ESCA believes existing guidance has not kept pace with modern practice, it has consistently offered to help bring it up to date. 

The more important work sits upstream of any guideline – improving the evidence itself. ESCA works with academic and scientific organisations across Europe to support better availability of independent data on subsea cables in the marine environment. Two recent examples show why this matters.  

A global assessment of the environmental considerations of subsea cable decommissioning, led by the National Oceanography Centre and published in late 2025, found the impacts of cable recovery are typically localised, short-lived, and substantially smaller than those of installation; modern cables remain structurally sound after decades on the seabed, and their materials are over 95 percent recyclable.  

Separately, a 2026 synthesis of existing research into EMF, to provide a technical summary of the topics, and support the knowledge base as well as where there may be uncertainty.  

ESCA maintains its own statement on EMFs and subsea cables and wants to close those gaps, whichever way the findings fall. 

In practical terms, members are supported through ESCA Guidelines on rock placement and decommissioning, through the Subsea Cable Decommissioning Working Group’s work on end-of-life regulatory, environmental, and practical questions and shared best practices on route planning that avoids sensitive habitats and minimises seabed intervention. 

JW: We are not asking regulators to take our word for anything. We are asking for the science to be done properly and independently, and we will help whoever does it. Filling an evidence gap with assumptions harms the marine environment and infrastructure. 

What are the most significant benefits members receive, and how are these tailored to different types of organisations?

ESCA: ESCA offers two categories: full membership is open to submarine cable owners and operators and includes voting rights, full participation in governance, eligibility to stand for the Executive Committee, Chair, or Vice Chair, and inclusion of operational cables and offshore renewable infrastructure within KIS-ORCA.  

The other category is associate membership, open to government departments, suppliers, consultants, and wider industry stakeholders, with full participation in Sub-Groups, Working Groups, and meetings. 

The common benefits are straightforward: access to peers across telecoms, power, and renewables; shared technical, environmental, legal, and regulatory expertise; collective engagement with governments, regulators, and European institutions; reduced operational risk through initiatives such as KIS-ORCA; and a public demonstration of commitment to safety and responsible operation. 

Tailoring happens through the Sub-Groups, which is where most of the work is done. An offshore wind developer or OFTO will gravitate towards the Renewables and Power Cables Sub-Group; a telecoms operator tends to find most value in the Technical and Regulatory Sub-Group and Maritime Sub-Group.  

A vessel operator or supplier gains direct access to the technical debate that shapes the standards they will be asked to work to and the people specifying that work. A government department or regulator gets something hard to obtain elsewhere: a neutral, non-commercial technical channel into the industry it regulates and a view of what is happening in neighbouring member states.  

Members in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean have the Southern Europe Sub-Group, early-career staff have NextGen, and organisations facing end-of-life decisions have the Decommissioning Working Group. 

Membership is deliberately accessible. Associate membership is currently £1,500 a year with a £500 one-off joining fee, and full membership is currently £3,500 a year with a £1,000 joining fee, pro-rated for those joining mid-year. 

SH: The value members talk about most is the relationships. Working alongside people across the sector over several years builds trust, and that allows issues to be resolved quickly and sensibly when they do arise. 

Finally, what is the anticipated outlook for ESCA and the broader industry over the next five years?

ESCA: Five things look reasonably certain. 

Volume – Demand from AI and cloud infrastructure on the digital side, and from European electrification and offshore wind on the energy side, means the demand for subsea cables continues to increase. 

Regulation catching up – The EU Action Plan on Cable Security has moved from communication to delivery, and Ireland has named subsea cable resilience amongst the digital priorities of its Presidency of the Council of the EU, which runs from July 2026.  

In the UK, the government has announced plans to replace legislation dating back over 140 years with a modern criminal and security framework, with a white paper expected in 2026. The direction of travel is right, and the detail will determine whether it helps or hinders, which is precisely where ESCA’s technical input matters. 

Repair capacity as the binding constraint – If one issue defines the next five years, it will be whether Europe invests in the vessels, equipment reserves, and workforce needed to fix what it is so enthusiastically building. 

People – The generational transition in the offshore workforce is real. NextGen exists because a sector that cannot recruit cannot be resilient, no matter how much cable it lays. 

A maturing evidence base – Independent science on decommissioning, EMFs, seabed mobility, and coexistence is improving quickly. Better evidence should mean more proportionate regulation and better environmental outcomes. 

For ESCA specifically, expect a broader geographic footprint through the Southern Europe Sub-Group, deeper government participation, and more cross-sector work through SUDG and with the fishing industry.  

The association has grown from a UK cable protection committee into a European forum spanning three industries, and that trajectory continues. 

SH: Five years from now, there will be more subsea cables on the European seabed, more sectors sharing that space, and more political attention on all of it. Our job is to make sure the decisions taken in that environment are informed by the people who actually install, operate, and repair this infrastructure.

EUROPEAN SUBSEA CABLES ASSOCIATION PARTNER

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UPS Expands Global Logistics Infrastructure

UPS is investing more than USD$2 billion across its International, Healthcare and Supply Chain Solutions businesses as it seeks to increase the speed, resilience and connectivity of its global logistics network.

The investment programme began in 2024 and will continue through 2028, spanning Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas.

Projects include new logistics hubs, additional air capacity, automated facilities and expanded cross-border services. UPS said the investments are designed to give customers greater flexibility as they enter new markets, rebalance supply chains and respond to changing international trade conditions.

“Customers need end-to-end logistics that match their requirements for visibility, speed and ease,” said Kate Gutmann, Executive Vice President and President of International, Healthcare and Supply Chain Solutions at UPS.

“These investments allow us to bring air, ground, brokerage and distribution together in one solution, with fewer handoffs, more end-to-end control and less complexity.”

New Hubs Planned Across Asia and North America

Several major facilities are included in the investment programme.

UPS expects to open a new hub at Clark Airport in the Philippines in the fourth quarter of 2026, followed by a new facility in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, in 2027.

A new air hub at Hong Kong International Airport is scheduled to open in 2028.

The investments support both UPS’s wider international network and strategic sectors including healthcare, technology, automotive and industrial manufacturing.

In Asia-Pacific, UPS has also invested in a technology-enabled logistics centre in Taiwan and expanded its Incheon air hub in South Korea, using automation to increase processing speeds.

The company is expanding its intra-Asia air network and operates flights five times a week between Paris and Hong Kong, and Shenzhen and Sydney.

UPS Targets Greater Supply Chain Visibility and Control

A central focus of the programme is bringing different parts of the logistics process together to reduce handoffs and improve end-to-end visibility.

UPS’s capabilities span air and ground transportation, freight, customs brokerage, distribution and specialist logistics.

A Supply Chain Solutions facility in Amsterdam, for example, combines freight, brokerage and cold-chain services under one roof.

Gutmann said the integration of logistics services with real-time tracking and proactive monitoring would enable UPS to handle temperature-sensitive, time-critical and high-value shipments across domestic and international supply chains.

The company has also developed 27 temperature-controlled freight cross-dock facilities, designed to support rapid transfers between air and ground transportation while maintaining specified temperature requirements.

Supporting Supply Chain Diversification

The investment comes as companies reassess manufacturing footprints and sourcing strategies in response to changing trade requirements and supply chain risks.

Anker is among the businesses using UPS’s integrated transportation, brokerage and trade capabilities as it expands its manufacturing network.

“UPS didn’t just help us move products. They helped us navigate the challenges that came with growth by bringing transportation, brokerage and trade expertise together,” said Adam Liu, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Anker.

“As we expanded our manufacturing footprint, we were dealing with new trade requirements, new markets and a lot more complexity. UPS gave us confidence that we could keep moving forward while managing risk along the way.”

Cross-Border Capacity Expands

UPS is also investing in regional delivery and cross-border capabilities.

In Europe, the company operates what it describes as the continent’s fastest integrated ground network, covering every address and providing Saturday delivery across eight major markets.

In Canada, UPS offers automatic Saturday ground residential delivery, alongside optional Saturday commercial ground delivery.

The company is also expanding its North American Air Freight capabilities, introducing time-definite heavy air freight services to and from Mexico and extending coverage across North America.

Asia-Pacific investment includes a network of International Air Transport Association (IATA) Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma-certified facilities designed for high-value and time-sensitive healthcare shipments.

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STRENGTHENING TRADE CONNECTIONS

DHL Express has launched a new direct flight between Shanghai and Bangkok, expanding capacity along a key trade lane connecting China with the rapidly growing economies of Indochina.

The new daily service operates on the Shanghai-Bangkok-Bahrain-Brussels-Shanghai route, strengthening links between manufacturing, sourcing, and consumption markets across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Operated by a DHL Boeing 767 freighter with a maximum payload of 50 tons, the service reflects the company’s continued investment in network capacity and infrastructure and responds to evolving trade patterns across high-growth markets.

“This route is a direct response to how trade flows in Asia are shifting,” said Peter Bardens, Senior Vice President for Network Operations & Aviation – Asia Pacific, DHL Express.

“We’re seeing increasing movement of goods between China and Southeast Asia, alongside continued demand from customers in Europe and the Middle East for products manufactured across the region.”

According to Bardens, the new service will provide additional capacity and more direct connections between key production and consumption markets, helping DHL Express adapt its network to where customers need it most.

SUPPORTING INDOCHINA TRADE

Bangkok serves as a strategic gateway to the wider Indochina region, while Bahrain and Brussels operate as key DHL Express hubs.

The new Shanghai-Bangkok connection will allow the company to consolidate shipments originating in China and Southeast Asia before connecting them with destinations across Europe and the Middle East.

The service arrives as manufacturers and traders in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos increasingly source goods from China. Many of these shipments form part of production chains spanning several countries, making reliable and flexible logistics connections increasingly important.

As trade links between China and Southeast Asia deepen, DHL Express aims to improve speed, flexibility, and network resilience for customers transporting materials, components, and finished products across Asia and onwards to global markets.

The move follows the recent expansion of DHL Express’ Shenzhen gateway at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport. The facility can now handle 900 tons of cargo daily, approximately three times its original throughput, supporting growing cross-border trade and e-commerce shipments in China.

CONNECTING GLOBAL MARKETS

Businesses across Europe and the Middle East also continue to trade extensively with China and Southeast Asia, spanning sectors from electronics and industrial components to consumer goods.

With international business activity remaining highly dispersed across global markets, the Shanghai-Bangkok service creates additional opportunities for businesses while strengthening access between major production and consumption regions.

As intra-Asia and global trade flows continue to demonstrate resilience, DHL remains focused on expanding its dedicated air network.

Another recent development is DHL Global Forwarding’s introduction of a new transpacific service connecting Southeast Asia with the United States. Together, these network expansions are designed to connect businesses more effectively with global markets while supporting more agile and resilient supply chains.

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US VIRGIN ISLANDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SPOTLIGHT

Globally recognized for its natural beauty and enviable year-round climate, the US Virgin Islands (USVI) are a uniquely stunning blend of Caribbean and American influences, creating an inviting and captivating atmosphere.

The diverse culture is a reflection of the archipelago’s West African, Danish, Spanish, Irish, and German heritage. One of its most celebrated cultural assets is the people, known for their warm hospitality, strong sense of community, and collective desire to uplift the development of the islands.

The USVI offers an exceptional quality of life, with local traditions, upbeat music, and mouthwatering gastronomy all coming together to create a one-of-a-kind experience that many can only fantasize of. From its crashing waves to colorful celebrations, the USVI invites companies not just to conduct business here, but to embrace a cultural mosaic that positively impacts everything it touches.

As a world-class location for business investment and expansion, the USVI offers an abundant economy that promotes renewable energy, technology, life sciences, tourism, professional services, agribusiness, coastal and ocean resources, light manufacturing, and much more.

Equally, the archipelago’s unique tax benefits translate to a better bottom line for businesses therein. The tax programs are not only one of the most competitive tax benefit packages in the Caribbean, but across the world. Additionally, the USVI’s infrastructure provides ample strategic advantages. Its access to major shipping routes and the Panama Canal enables it strategic market access to the US, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, and companies will find unparalleled infrastructure and communication systems already in place.

Each island offers bustling hubs of both business and leisure, with opportunities including sustainable tourism innovations, agriculture developments, and strategic locations for trade, investment, and entrepreneurial ventures, alongside many others.

With the USVI’s population of approximately 87,146 – based on the 2020 Census – and an available, highly trainable, and primarily English-speaking workforce, the archipelago offers unceasing advantages for those looking to conduct, expand, or invest in business.

Q&A WITH THE VIRGIN ISLANDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Striving to be a driving force for economic development and transformation in the region, the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority (USVIEDA) celebrates its 25th anniversary of driving economic growth and investment in the stunning archipelago. We revisit the authority with Wayne L. Biggs, Jr., CEO, who expands upon why the USVI is a one-of-a-kind investment hub.

Since we last featured USVIEDA in November 2023, what is your updated take on the industry? Is it still an exciting space to work in?

Wayne L. Biggs, Jr., CEO (WLBJ): It’s definitely exciting to work at the Authority and collaborate with the Virgin Islands government to diversify the economy and drive growth. We’ve introduced new tools and are focusing on expanding the South Shore Trade Zone.

We’ve also been very active in attracting clients. We currently have about 105 beneficiaries in the program, which remains steady. There is an excellent team working with us, and we’re here to assist any business looking to expand to or relocate within the USVI. We have the team available to support that and are open for business.

Can you reintroduce us to USVIEDA and the offers, services, and opportunities it provides?

WLBJ: We are a comprehensive economic development authority, meaning we have various divisions that handle different functions. Our Economic Development Commission is responsible for attracting foreign direct investment to the territory through numerous tax incentives.

We can reduce corporate income tax by 90 percent. If you’re a bona fide resident, we can lower it by 90 percent. If you’re using real property in regard to your operations, we’ll eliminate the real property tax entirely. Excise tax is also cut by 100 percent.

Our customs duties, which are normally six percent, would be reduced to one percent. Since we don’t have a sales tax, but a gross receipts tax, that rate is also reduced to zero. These reductions offer significant savings when attracting companies and establishing them in the territory.

We also have the Enterprise Zone Commission, which handles community planning and neighborhood development. Their goal is to revitalize areas that were once vibrant but have declined for various reasons. We’re tasked with bringing businesses and residents back to those areas, primarily through tax incentives. Additionally, we operate the South Shore Trade Zone, a free trade zone allowing the import and export of goods without taxes.

Being in the USVI allows you to import components from throughout the world and, based on your added value through assembly or manufacturing, which substantially changes the components, you can label products as ‘Made in the US’. If you want to sell US-made products to the US government, you can do so by importing components to St. Croix, assembling or manufacturing your final product(s) there, and then exporting to the US mainland.

We are also exempt from the Jones Act, meaning foreign vessels can directly move from our port to a US port, enabling foreign flagships to carry merchandise into the US.

Furthermore, we have our Economic Development Bank, which provides capital access for small businesses. We also operate an incubator and accelerator connected to both the bank and the Enterprise Zone Commission. Our import-export program aims to boost exports from the territory to other markets. We run two industrial parks, one in St. Croix and another in St. Thomas. The St. Croix park offers approximately 160,000 square feet (sqft) of occupiable space, while St. Thomas has about 20,000 sqft, with plans to expand.

We manage numerous internal initiatives and programs. One example is the Hotel Development Program, which offers rebates on occupancy taxes for hotel projects developed within the territory. Depending on the project’s scale, we can rebate up to 100 percent of the occupancy taxes generated, providing hotels with financial assistance for development costs and cash flow. This benefit can be combined with the Economic Development Commission incentives, resulting in a 90 percent reduction in profitability.

To date, three hotels are already participating, with two more set to be approved soon. We also run STARS, our film and music production program, which promotes film and music activities within the territory.

How does the Authority work to promote the USVI as an attractive investment hub, attracting new businesses and capital?

WLBJ: We continue to attract investment through various methods. Currently, we rely heavily on digital media, such as industry reference magazines. Of course, social media is essential now, so we maintain a presence on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and others. We also participate in trade shows and conferences to promote ourselves and are happy to conduct Teams meetings, Zoom calls, phone conversations, or meet in person.

We are very selective about the types of industry trade shows we attend because we want to target industries that can attract activity to the territory, while also preserving a high-quality environment. Therefore, we seek out low-producing entities in the territory.

We’ve been very successful with financial companies and are expanding this area, including family offices, financial management firms, individuals involved in trading, and other financial services, such as off-site call centers.

In what ways does the Authority strive to be a driving force for economic development and transportation?

WLBJ: We aim to diversify the economy. We work closely with partner agencies, including the Department of Tourism and the Research and Technology Park, to build strategic partnerships that promote the territory’s economic growth and visibility – not just for the Authority, but for the benefit of the USVI as a whole.

Together, we participate in various events to take a holistic approach to investment in the USVI, whether in tourism, technology, or other sectors. We often lead these efforts by creating joint initiatives to promote the territory.

Are there any new trends currently shaping and transforming the USVI’s economic development?

WLBJ: We’ve observed more financial companies relocating and expanding here over recent years. We’ve also seen increased hotel development, as investors grow more confident in investing within the territory.

A new hotel has recently opened, with a second having completed its first phase, and others are in development. Tourism remains our primary market, but increased investment in this sector is driven by the Hotel Development Act and other promotional efforts we are engaged in.

Are you optimistic about the future of economic development throughout the USVI?

WLBJ: We are very optimistic about the future. We have the free trade zone that we’re promoting, and there are good opportunities for assembly and manufacturing in those markets, especially given our geographic location situated in the middle of the Caribbean chain. If you’re targeting Caribbean markets, it’s very easy to access them. Latin America is about 1,100 miles away, Central America roughly 1,200 miles, and North America about 1,400 miles. We are a US jurisdiction, so if you’re coming from the US and are a citizen, traveling back and forth is straightforward. Additionally, US laws protect intellectual property, and we use US courts and dollars.

We’re definitely optimistic about expanding the trade zone and continuing to develop a financial hub where more financial companies will set up shop, thanks to the incentives we offer and the available bandwidth, allowing them to conduct financial trades and consulting from the territory.

Finally, what are the Authority’s goals and priorities for the future, and what strategies will you use to facilitate them?

WLBJ: We’re focusing heavily on digital marketing efforts. We are strengthening our team with professionals who bring digital expertise, while expanding our use of social media and other digital platforms to more effectively share our message. Since many people get their news online, we’re emphasizing digital promotions. We are also being very selective about the markets we pursue. I see us continuing to attract financial companies because they are easier to relocate from one area to another, as they generally aren’t asset-heavy.

There is significant potential for the trade zone, particularly due to tariffs, because we are outside the US customs zone, meaning there are no tariffs on goods brought into the territory. We assist companies by hedging their tariff costs and helping extend their operations into the territory.

The territory is making substantial investments in its ports, focusing on what we call the P3 or PPP – i.e. a public-private partnership – updating and upgrading the port facilities, including the seaport and the airport. The airports will undergo a $250 million renovation, and the seaports will follow soon after. We anticipate many positive developments in the near future as a result.

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THE NETWORK THAT DELIVERS

Few industries are as dynamic as logistics.

From geopolitical uncertainty and shifting trade policies to changing sourcing strategies and customer expectations, supply chains have become increasingly interconnected and complex.

“The complexity and interdependency of the supply chain and ever-changing global affairs always keep you on your toes,” opens Bohn Crain, Founder and CEO of Radiant Logistics (Radiant).

Helping customers navigate that reality has been central to Radiant’s founding in 2006. After building his career in transportation, including time with Fortune 100 transportation company CSX, Crain recognized an opportunity to create something different.

Rather than building a traditional logistics company, he envisioned a platform that would connect experienced logistics entrepreneurs through shared capabilities, resources, and technology, while maintaining the responsiveness and customer focus that drive long-term success.

“It was that background in transportation alongside my familiarity with capital markets that created an opportunity for me to set up Radiant,” he recalls.

Founded on the belief that entrepreneurial operators could deliver exceptional value when connected through a broader network of capabilities and resources, Radiant has spent the past two decades expanding its reach while remaining focused on solving customer challenges.

Through strategic acquisitions and organic growth, Radiant has expanded its capabilities while preserving the entrepreneurial culture and customer relationships that helped build the business.

“There has been a lot of hard work, dedication, and perseverance to get us to where we are today,” acknowledges Crain.

“Our stability and continued growth speak to the durability of our diversified non-asset-based model and ability to weather all types of storms while still thriving.”

As one of the few publicly traded, non-asset-based third-party logistics (3PL) providers of its size, Radiant offers a level of transparency and accountability rarely found in the middle market.

20 years after its founding, the company remains focused on the same objective that inspired its creation: helping customers move confidently through an increasingly complex supply chain landscape.

THE POWER OF THE NETWORK

While Radiant’s growth over the past two decades has been significant, the company’s evolution has never been driven by scale alone.

Instead, it has been shaped by a belief that customers are best served when entrepreneurial expertise, specialized capabilities, and local market knowledge are connected through a broader platform designed to support growth and collaboration.

That philosophy continues to define Radiant today.

Over the years, the company has expanded through a combination of organic growth and the strategic acquisition of highly respected transportation and logistics providers.

Rather than simply consolidating operations, Radiant has focused on preserving the expertise, customer relationships, and entrepreneurial culture that made those businesses successful while connecting them to a broader network of capabilities, technology, and resources.

For customers, that means access to broader capabilities and specialized expertise without sacrificing the responsiveness and accountability that often define strong local relationships.

Organizations are often forced to choose between the personalized service of a smaller provider and the scale and resources of a larger one. Radiant’s model is designed to eliminate that trade-off.

“We are small enough that we can adapt to our customers and what they’re looking for, yet large enough to provide the rates, resources, and service capabilities associated with much larger organizations,” highlights Joe Pelletier, Senior Vice President.

“Our size and capability are perfectly blended.”

That balance allows Radiant to support a diverse range of customer needs, from global forwarding programs and manufacturing supply chains to government and defense logistics, healthcare shipments, time-critical transportation, and complex trade show and event moves.

“Radiant prides itself on being extremely collaborative. We collaborate across different parts of the business to bring together everything required to deliver the best possible outcomes for our customers,” adds Laurent Grousseau, CTO.

The result is a model that combines the agility of entrepreneurial operators with the capabilities, technology, and global reach of a larger logistics platform, helping customers solve increasingly complex transportation and supply chain challenges.

TECHNOLOGY WITH PURPOSE

As supply chains have become more data-intensive, customers increasingly need more than information – they need the ability to turn that information into action.

Recognizing that shift, Radiant has made technology a central component of its strategy, helping customers gain greater visibility, control, and insight across their operations.

At the center of that strategy is Navegate®, the company’s proprietary global trade management and collaboration platform.

“Navegate® is a truly differentiated service offering that empowers our associates to engage with customers in a unique and meaningful way,” notes Crain.

The platform connects orders, inventory, shipments, and supply chain events in a single environment, helping customers identify potential issues, respond more quickly to disruption, and make more informed decisions.

“It’s a natural fit because customers are looking for greater visibility and a deeper understanding of what’s happening throughout their supply chains,” says Pelletier.

“By combining technology with the expertise that exists across the Radiant network, we’re able to help customers make better decisions and improve overall supply chain performance.”

Importantly, Radiant views technology as an extension of operational expertise rather than a replacement for it.

“We have many discussions between the business and technology teams,” Grousseau tells us.

“There’s a constant exchange of ideas so we can better understand what the business needs and deliver the best possible experience and results for customers.”

By combining digital capabilities with experienced logistics professionals, Radiant continues to help customers move from reacting to disruption toward anticipating it.

LOOKING AHEAD

As Radiant enters its third decade, the company’s focus remains remarkably consistent with the principles that guided its founding: invest in people, embrace innovation, and help customers solve increasingly complex logistics challenges.

Through its ongoing partnership with the University of Washington Foster School of Business, Radiant has explored practical applications for artificial intelligence (AI) while creating a pipeline for the next generation of technology and business leaders.

“We started our partnership two years ago and provided students with a problem statement as a proof of concept of how we might use AI within the business,” Crain outlines.

The program gained so much interest and was so successful that Radiant ultimately hired a number of those students to continue carrying forward that initiative.

“We have already established live AI agents, including RAY, our AI-powered logistics assistant, and believe this is going to be the next big transformation within our sector in the next couple of years,” insights Grousseau.

“We are finding new ways to connect the old with the new to be more efficient and provide more accurate information for customers.”

For Radiant, innovations such as RAY are designed to enhance expertise, not replace it. At its core, logistics is a people business.

“We’re positioned in a manner where we don’t bring technology to customers where they were, but rather where they are going,” states Pelletier.

“We’re not applying yesterday’s technology to tomorrow’s problems; we’re applying tomorrow’s technology to today’s problems.”

20 years after its founding, Radiant has grown into a diversified global logistics platform serving customers across industries, geographies, and modes of transportation.

More importantly, it has built a foundation designed to evolve alongside the needs of the market.

“We ultimately aspire to be the preferred platform for logistics entrepreneurs,” concludes Crain.

That ambition is rooted in the same philosophy that inspired the company’s founding: empower great people, connect them through a stronger network, and create better outcomes for customers.

As Radiant looks toward the future, that belief remains unchanged: bring together the right people, capabilities, and technology to help customers move forward.

It is a philosophy that has defined the company for the past 20 years – and continues to prove why it is, and always has been, the ‘Network that Delivers’.

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PROOF OVER PROMISES  

For more than 118 years, UPS has continuously evolved its operations, and the company is now entering a new era powered by artificial intelligence (AI). By embedding AI across its business, UPS is enhancing customer experiences, strengthening supply chain resilience, and creating smarter, faster decision-making across its global logistics network. 

“After 118 years of reinventing logistics, we have entered a defining moment – using AI to simplify how we work across the enterprise, from customer acquisition and onboarding to how we plan, move, and deliver,” said Carol B. Tomé, UPS CEO.  

ENHANCING CUSTOMER VISIBILITY  

Every year, UPS customers generate billions of package tracking numbers, reflecting the scale of the company’s global operations. As supply chains become increasingly complex and market conditions continue to fluctuate, customers are looking for greater transparency than a simple estimated delivery date. 

To meet these evolving expectations, UPS is expanding the use of AI to provide enhanced end-to-end visibility while improving customer support across multiple channels. 

By the end of 2026, the company expects more than 98 percent of customer service requests to be supported through a combination of AI and human expertise across digital and voice channels, including AI-enabled intelligent assistants operating in more than 20 countries. 

At the same time, customer care teams are being equipped with AI-powered, real-time shipment insights designed to resolve inquiries and claims more efficiently. UPS is also transforming reverse logistics through Happy Returns, introducing a conversational AI experience that simplifies the post-purchase journey while helping reduce returns fraud. 

The company is further strengthening package visibility by combining radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology with AI-powered tracking capabilities, providing customers with near real-time package-level insights that support greater transparency, flexibility, and faster decision-making. 

BUILDING A SMARTER GLOBAL NETWORK  

Beyond customer-facing services, UPS is integrating AI throughout its logistics network to improve planning, responsiveness, and operational resilience. 

Its proprietary network planning tools now model multiple “what if” scenarios using real-time information, including weather conditions, transportation delays, and volume forecasts. This enables the company to stress-test operations and prepare execution-ready plans before disruptions affect service. 

UPS is also expanding its digital twin of the global network to encompass every mode of transportation. The digital replica includes facilities, air and ground operations, and end-to-end package flows, updating every 10 minutes to monitor performance continuously and allow the network to adapt in real time. 

The company is also deploying agentic control tower capabilities directly with customers. By combining predictive models, connected services, and operational data, these capabilities extend beyond shipment tracking to identify, prioritize, and help resolve disruptions across complex multi-carrier networks while giving customers full control over their data. 

SIMPLIFYING GLOBAL TRADE  

International shipping is another area benefiting from AI-driven innovation. 

UPS is introducing next-generation brokerage services that combine AI, cross-border data, and human expertise to help customers navigate customs requirements accurately for shipments of all sizes. 

The company is also improving the cross-border experience through more predictable landed costs at checkout, enhanced product classifications using UPS Export Assure, and digital trade documentation via UPS Paperless® Invoice. Together, these capabilities help reduce errors and accelerate shipment processing. 

AI is also strengthening UPS’s brokerage operations by enabling faster customs clearance. As a result, 97 percent of UPS shipments clear customs on the first day of entry. 

“When trade rules changed, we needed to adjust fast without disrupting our customers,” said Michael Garcia, Vice President of Operations for Audien – the world’s largest over-the-counter hearing aid company.  

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF LOGISTICS  

As part of its Network of the Future transformation, UPS continues to redesign its operations with a greater focus on data, resilience, and intelligent automation. By embedding AI across planning, routing, and execution, the company is creating a network capable of dynamically responding to changing operating conditions. 

“Every step we’re taking supports our strategy – putting customers first, empowering our people, and accelerating innovation,” Tomé said.  

“AI isn’t a buzzword at UPS. We are building on a rich history of technology embedded in every facet of our business. We are doing the work – using AI to transform global commerce.”

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TRUSTED SECURITY INTELLIGENCE PARTNER

Transport security remains a highly buoyant market in Australia, as both federal and commercial regulation ensure the efficient and streamlined protection of the nation’s borders, supply chains, and, ultimately, property.

It is the latter that remains a key priority for Trident Services Australia (Trident), who continues to prove its dedication to safeguarding people and property.

Since last speaking to the company in June 2024, Trident has maintained a proactive stance on threat intelligence, ensuring its operational frameworks are agile enough to meet both evolving regulatory mandates and the specific needs of its clients.

“By deepening our integration of intelligence-led, data-driven systems across all business streams, we have reinforced our position as a trusted partner to government and industry – continuing to mitigate risks ranging from terror to serious crime and ensuring the resilience of the transport systems we protect,” proudly opens David Wilkinson, CEO.

TURNING CLIENTS’ VISIONS INTO REALITY

For Trident, a deep commitment to meeting the needs of its clients and partners continues to underpin its operations as it overcomes key industry challenges.

“Whilst our main points of difference are our people and agility to respond, we differentiate ourselves through authenticity and an unwavering focus on our clients’ vision. We don’t simply provide security – we provide intelligence,” Wilkinson highlights.

The company has witnessed substantial growth of late – it has secured 16 new contracts across 40 new sites, including five major aviation contracts, and grown its workforce to nearly 3,000.

“This expansion has significantly enhanced our operational depth, cross-training capabilities, and overall business resilience – positioning us to deliver consistent, high-quality service across a broader national footprint,” he adds.

Key to the company’s development and overcoming industry obstacles such as rising labour costs and economic volatility, Trident is transitioning from a labour-centric model to a technology-enhanced enterprise.

“It is vital to remember that whilst artificial intelligence (AI) and technology are powerful tools, our people remain the heart of our business,” Wilkinson reflects.

“Data is business gold. By embedding AI-driven systems into our service delivery, we furnish our clients with live data analysis and actionable insights, transforming operational data into a strategic asset that drives measurably better security outcomes.

“This means we can deliver superior security and facilities management outcomes through innovation that rationalises costs whilst enhancing compliance,” he highlights.

The company’s recent success in guaranteeing flight security services for the national carrier Qantas at Sydney and Melbourne Airports is a testament to this strategy, demonstrating the company’s ability to deliver detailed, meaningful, and timely information.

REDEFINING SECURITY PARAMETERS

In pursuit of meeting clients’ needs, Trident leverages its AI-enhanced technology suite to export its expertise into the South Pacific, with a clear goal of uplifting regional compliance and security standards.

“We intend to bring the same sophisticated, data-driven protection we have pioneered in the Australian market to new territories across the region,” Wilkinson sets out.

To this end, Trident maintains strategic partnerships with three technology leaders, which are seeing transformative results.

“We are currently integrating internal AI, advanced aviation training systems, and world-class 3D digital twinning and spatial mapping technologies to redefine what is possible in security management,” he outlines.

Elsewhere, the company is particularly proud of its first national air cargo contract with DHL Express Australia, which required the mobilisation of a complex, multi-state operation, which Trident completed with precision at scale.

Recognising the criticality of business continuity, the company’s supply chain is at the centre of its continued success.

Viewing its suppliers as strategic partners rather than mere vendors, the company prioritises transparent communication, collaborative innovation, and shared technological goals.

As a result, Trident can effortlessly maintain a resilient and efficient supply chain that enables the company to consistently uphold the high standards its clients expect.

SETTING INDUSTRY BENCHMARKS

When last speaking to Trident in June 2024, it was in the throes of launching its Screener Development Programme – a highly advanced platform providing comprehensive oversight, structure, and tools for staff considering a long-term screening career at the company.

Fast forward two years later, and the programme has set the industry benchmark for regularly compliance.

“Innovation only succeeds when you foster a culture that empowers employees to explore and embrace new ideas. We remain deeply committed to recognising and valuing the human element that underpins every aspect of our success,” Wilkinson reflects.

Despite its achievements, the company is not standing still. In the same period, it has also spent considerable time establishing its own Registered Training Organisation (RTO), “Key Training Academy”. Projected to open its doors in August 2026, the state-of-the-art facility will be strategically located in a complex that is designed to showcase its technology products and systems.

“The RTO has an obvious symbiotic relationship with our core business streams and will elevate our recruitment and induction standards to an unprecedented level, ensuring our people are the best-trained professionals in the sector,” he insights.

Hand-in-hand with its staff’s expertise, corporate citizenship is fundamental to Trident’s identity, demonstrated by the fact that its employees generously dedicate their time to a number of different volunteer initiatives.

Additionally, Trident upholds strict adherence to Australia’s Modern Slavery Act, and is also deeply committed to First Nations engagement, ethical supply chain management, and active support for community programmes.

“We believe a successful business must be a force for good, and we hold ourselves accountable for the social and ethical impact of everything we do,” Wilkinson maintains.

ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

As it continues on an upward trajectory, Trident’s initial focus remains the launch of its RTO and the seamless integration of workflows across all business units.

“The interest from our partners has been extremely encouraging for this initiative and we envisage broader scope driven by future industry demand,” Wilkinson tells us.

The company will simultaneously continue to deploy its new AI product suite – both internally and as a market-leading solution for its clients.

“Our overarching commitment is to quality, innovation, and sustainable growth,” he concludes.

The post Trident Services Australia : Trusted Security Intelligence Partner appeared first on Supply Chain Outlook.

ELEVATING AVIATION STANDARDS

Airports are hives of activity where ground services play a crucial role in orchestrating logistics that are as essential as aviation itself.

In this dynamic environment, the individuals working in these vital roles often operate behind the scenes but are fundamental to ensuring the smooth flow of air travel.

These interconnected hubs depend on a complex network of support operations that guarantee every aspect, from baggage handling to passenger assistance, runs efficiently amongst the hustle and bustle of arrivals and departures.

During peak travel times, demand for these services increases significantly, highlighting the airline industry’s most visible responsibilities.

Known for its efficiency and reliability, Sky Handling Partner (SHP) is a prominent player in the airport ground handling sector, operating within Groupe CRIT’s global ground handling division.

The company provides essential aircraft turnaround services to major airlines, including passenger handling, ramp, and load control, prioritising safety, reliability, and the customer experience.

Established in Ireland in 2000, SHP expanded its operations to the UK in 2011, specifically at London City Airport (LCY) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR), before launching the Cobalt Ground Solutions brand in 2016.

At present, SHP boasts a dedicated workforce of over 1,850 employees spread across its primary operational hubs in Dublin, Shannon, and London.

“Safety, security, and service are the cornerstones of our performance. All our stations have dedicated on-site safety and security teams who collaborate closely with airport community stakeholders,” introduces Darren Moloney, General Manager.

“The coordination of these teams at all levels facilitates a safety-first approach to every aspect of our ground handling activities.”

Moreover, to strengthen and nurture its partnerships with major airline clients, the company implements a range of strategic initiatives to enhance collaboration and ensure mutual growth.

With a comprehensive range of services, Cobalt Ground Solutions collaborates with SHP to ensure consistent operational standards across various locations, whilst also leveraging Groupe Europe Handling’s expertise.

“Groupe Europe Handling, Cobalt Ground Solutions, and SHP share many of the same airline customers across our network. The adoption of resource and planning technologies safeguards alignment with airline standards and requirements,” Moloney adds.

EMBRACING INNOVATION

Key challenges currently facing the aviation industry include operational disruptions, rising fuel costs, customer demands, sustainability compliance, and delays in hiring processes, with the latter being particularly problematic for SHP.

However, the company is preparing to address these issues through strategic investments and enhanced customer service initiatives.

“Seasonality remains a primary challenge for our Dublin operations, coupled with the necessity to scale resource bases accordingly,” Moloney acknowledges.

“The enhanced security vetting process dictates a longer recruitment timeline, with onboarding for summer operations commencing in early Q1 annually.”

To achieve this, SHP needs to streamline the recruitment process whilst maintaining rigorous standards, balancing efficiency with quality in attracting talent.

“Ensuring the ground handling sector is an attractive career option for a workforce that appears more transitory. This requires a strong focus on recruitment policies, training, and development, and it must clearly highlight a career development path,” he emphasises.

“Additionally, SHP offers competitive packages to new entrants with various opportunities to adopt flexible roster options for team members that provide a good and predictable work-life balance whilst ensuring sufficient flexibility to cover airline operations in a dynamic and fluid environment.”

As SHP implements competitive employment packages to ensure a balanced work-life environment for team members, it is also committed to advancing the electrification of its fleet across Europe, recognising that the availability of charging infrastructure at each airport will be crucial to this transition.

“The electrification programme is airport-dependent and heavily influenced by the electric charging capacity available within each station.

“The class of ground support equipment (GSE) that has already commenced the transition to electric includes baggage tractors, belt loaders, and our car fleet. Over the next few years, we will accelerate electrification across our fleet at all stations,” Moloney details.

OPTIMISING OPERATIONS

Airport ground handling services have undergone a significant transformation in recent years, primarily driven by technological advancement and integration.

As a result, the sector is increasingly embracing automation and data-driven approaches to improve operational efficiency and safety.

This evolution has introduced innovative tools and systems that streamline and improve the overall passenger experience, fundamentally changing how ground services are delivered at airports worldwide.

Indeed, SHP is exploring specific enhancements to its IT infrastructure and software to boost operations and customer service with a versatile technology solution.

“WorkBridge is currently being introduced to stations in the UK and Ireland to provide enhanced operational visibility in real-time,” Moloney tells us.

This solution is designed to support all types of airport services, including baggage and cargo handling, passenger check-in, boarding, security, and maintenance.

“The platform facilitates accurate resource planning across service delivery teams and enables controllers to optimise our response to off-schedule airline activity on any given day,” he informs.

“It also provides oversight on skill set requirements, so our planning teams can factor this into our seasonal planning programmes.”

In addition to improving resource management, customer services, and overall efficiency with WorkBridge’s sophisticated system capabilities, SHP has introduced integrated compliance, safety, and risk management.

“In February, we moved to Centrik by Trustflight, an integrated safety management system (SMS) designed to streamline compliance, risk management, reporting, and operational safety processes within the aviation industry,” Moloney outlines.

“The transition to the new SMS was carried out using a structured approach to minimise disruption to operations and maintain compliance with safety requirements.”

To facilitate this transition, SHP conducted a thorough assessment to inform decisions on how to proceed.

“The project began with a review of the existing system and a gap analysis to identify requirements and reporting needs that needed to be replicated or improved within the new platform. Existing safety data, including reports, risk registers, audits, and corrective actions from the outgoing system, were retained and archived,” states Moloney.

ENHANCING THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

Several critical factors make SHP an appealing workplace for employees – these elements foster a supportive and engaging environment that promotes professional growth and job satisfaction.

“Our employees are part of frontline airport operations where no two days are the same. Working closely with airlines, passengers, and flight operations creates an energetic and rewarding atmosphere,” Moloney explains.

“Many team members highlight supportive colleagues and a strong teamwork culture as amongst the best parts of working for the company. Collaboration is essential in aviation operations, and employees often build strong working relationships.”

As SHP’s feedback indicates, employees seem to appreciate this way of working, which further enhances team dynamics and individual development.

The company not only promotes internal progression but also provides exposure to different operational areas within aviation handling services.

Employees therefore gain valuable industry experience and practical skills that support long-term career growth.

“SHP is dedicated to investing in operational and safety training to ensure staff are confident and prepared in their roles. This helps them develop professionally whilst maintaining high service standards,” Moloney optimistically concludes.

“Meanwhile, in terms of priorities for the coming year, our two main objectives are to complete the rollout of WorkBridge and appoint a Culture Learning and Development Manager for our operations in Ireland.”

By leveraging technology and implementing strategies that address industry challenges, SHP demonstrates its commitment to improving operational standards and building strong relationships with airline clients.

Furthermore, as the company advances electrification and innovative solutions, it delivers a smoother travel experience for passengers and positions itself as a leader in the sustainable and efficient management of airport services.

As a result, SHP is set to raise the standards of airport ground handling across Europe and beyond.

The post Sky Handling Partner : Elevating Aviation Standards appeared first on Supply Chain Outlook.

INNOVATION IN MOTION

As the largest maritime intermodal operator in the UK and a multi-award-winning provider of logistics solutions, Freightliner has made a name for itself and its services as one of the most sustainable, efficient, and advanced within the entire industry.

Through dedication, expertise, and ever-evolving rail and logistics solutions, the company is committed to getting the job done safely and responsibly, allowing businesses to rely on Freightliner when needed most.

The combination of the company’s locomotive fleet, strategically-located UK terminals, and road vehicles allows for the sustainable and seamless journey of goods. Freightliner operates over 30 different rail freight routes running almost 400 services per week, moving over a million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) annually.

“Our operations are broad, and often people don’t realise we don’t just move containers – we also operate night trunking services for large distribution companies, have a specialist haulage team, and a cargo handling team,” introduces Nick Matthews, COO.

“Our client base is varied – we support all the major shipping lines as well as freight forwarders, individuals, and beneficial cargo owners (BCOs). We can support and move goods for anyone, regardless of business size.”

Recently, in 2025, Freightliner celebrated its 60th anniversary. To honour this achievement, the company reflected on its rich history and continuous innovation. What started as a division of British Rail – as the first operator of container trains within the UK – soon developed into a deep-sea freight intermodal business offering its own end-to-end proposition.

“Building a reputation for reliable service that meets specific customer needs and delivers great supply chain efficiencies has been key to our success. Six decades on, we are still laser-focused on delivering for our customers and ensuring they get the best possible service,” expands Matthews.

This anniversary was also an excellent opportunity to celebrate the people who make Freightliner, as achieving this milestone would be impossible without those who deliver daily, ensuring customers are provided with reliable, efficient, and safe services.

THE INDUSTRY STANDARD

With his career in the supply chain industry beginning in the late 1990s, Matthews first joined Taylor Barnard Container Services in Felixstowe, which acted as an introduction to containerised freight and the broader supply chain landscape.

From there, he moved to other companies, gaining exposure across several functions before being offered the opportunity to relocate to Cape Town, South Africa, in the role of International Transport Manager.

Eventually moving back to the UK, Matthews stepped into the role of COO for Freightliner in 2024, assuming accountability across all operations, including rail and road transportation terminal operations, alongside health, safety, and workforce welfare.

“Inadvertently, I fell into the industry – but the variety, complexity, relationships, and opportunity it offered kept me here,” he comments.

The business differentiates itself through a variety of means, including its ability to provide end-to-end services for customers whilst owning all assets critical to ensuring reliability. Through constant innovation and dedication, the company manages approximately 60 percent of the intermodal rail freight market within the UK and possesses extensive rail freight path rights.

“We are an award-winning provider and have consistently been named Multimodal’s ‘Rail Freight Provider of the Year’, an award which is particularly pertinent as it is voted for by the industry and its customers,” Matthews details.

Equally, the scale of Freightliner’s services and operations allows it to move large volumes of goods quickly and efficiently. The company’s capabilities were directly seen when the Gemini Cooperation reshaped its UK port strategy, shifting container flows from Felixstowe to London Gateway.

Freightliner responded by rapidly reorganising its inland rail operations to support the change. Meeting the subsequent demand surge at London Gateway, it mobilised additional resources and doubled its daily intermodal services from the port, implementing a revised, faster train plan, and reallocated assets across the network – all of which was completed in under five months.

“The mobilisation required coordination with infrastructure providers, terminal operators, and stakeholders to ensure a seamless transition. We highlighted the effort as a testament to the capability and flexibility of our staff, network, and assets,” explains Matthews.

Freightliner is also committed to helping customers reduce carbon emissions. Rail freight is already the sustainable choice, emitting 76 percent less greenhouse gases (GHG) compared with diesel road transportation, but the company is determined to push the boundaries by operating the largest electric locomotive fleet in the market and providing customers with the option to use hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel.

LEADING EXPERTS ON HAND

Freightliner’s core purpose is to be the safest and most respected transportation service provider in the world.

“We believe that everyone at Freightliner has the right to get home safely after their shift – our group motto we always work to is ‘work safe, go home safe’,” asserts Matthews.

“We work tirelessly to stay at the forefront of personnel safety and welfare. Recently, we showed our dedication to our staff’s well-being by signing the Rail Safety and Standards Board’s Welfare Facilities Charter, which further reinforces our commitment to ensuring staff are provided with suitable and dignified welfare facilities.”

Customers choose to work with the company because they are confident that at Freightliner, safe working practices are non-negotiable and goods are delivered on time. The company is proud to offer ongoing safety training to ensure it remains the highest priority across all operational sites.

“Everything we do at Freightliner is underpinned by our unwavering dedication to safety,” Matthews prides.

Equally, the company currently has three key investment focus areas, including its wagon strategy, enhancing its locomotive fleet, and the expansion of its terminal business in strategic locations.

Specifically, Freightliner’s wagon strategy comprises removing a number of 60-foot (ft) platforms and replacing them with 40-ft ‘Shortliner’ wagons, allowing it to grow its commercial capability by 20 percent whilst reducing carbon emissions along the way.

Additionally, Freightliner is the freight leader in operating electric traction on the network with the Class 90 locomotives. The company is investigating if it can further enhance their fleet to reduce emissions on the network using new bi-mode locomotives.

“Furthermore, we are looking to expand our terminal operations in key locations in order to increase our volumes and grow in line with customer demand,” informs Matthews.

DELIVERING CONTINUED SUCCESS

Recently, Freightliner launched new services at Daventry – a key distribution hub within the UK. These will be used for routes often serviced by road, so the launch of the rail freight support will remove heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from the already busy road and motorway network.

“It will help customers who have not previously used rail move towards our services, which are the more sustainable option,” Matthews expands.

“Rail freight only really works at its best when it’s backed by a smooth, efficient road operation, and the truth is our supply chain functions strongest when rail and road play to their individual strengths rather than being seen as rivals. Our ability, as Freightliner, to offer a tailored solution is important for our customers.”

The company is witnessing an increase in model shift for several reasons, the first of which is sustainability, as customers are reducing their carbon footprint by taking road miles out of the supply chain.

Secondly, there is the industry-wide problem of the increasing average age of truck drivers. To address this, Freightliner is working to attract younger people, especially younger women, to road transport.

“As an industry, we have to make these roles more attractive to future generations. That’s why rail should be seen as part of the solution, because by taking on the long-distance work, it allows the fleet to focus on shorter trips to and from terminals, which means drivers are home every night, and the job becomes a more enticing career option,” concludes Matthews.

Ultimately, as Freightliner looks ahead, it is focused on delivering customer commitments, growing its business with its customer base, and continuing to provide a fantastic customer service to all.

The post Freightliner : Innovation in Motion appeared first on Supply Chain Outlook.

TRANSFORMING MID-MARKET SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE

The US freight and logistics industry has experienced meaningful growth over several years, driven by a confluence of structural and macroeconomic forces.

The continued expansion of e-commerce has fundamentally reshaped fulfillment expectations, while nearshoring trends and geopolitical dynamics – particularly evolving trade relationships as the result of a shifting geopolitical order – have prompted companies to rethink where and how they source, produce, and distribute goods.

“Layer on top of that the volatility we’ve seen across transportation markets, and it’s clear supply chains are no longer static systems; they’re dynamic, constantly evolving networks that require far more active management than in the past,” opens Joel Gard, CEO of Sheer Logistics (Sheer) – a leading technology-enabled fourth-party logistics (4PL) and managed transportation provider.

What makes this such an exciting space to be in is the elevation of the supply chain category from a back-office function to a true board-level priority.

“For decades, transportation and logistics were largely viewed as cost centers – necessary, but not strategic. That mindset has shifted dramatically; the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed just how critical supply chain performance is to revenue, customer experience, and overall business continuity,” he notes.

Today, the freight and logistics industry has seen significant investment in technology, data, and network design, along with a growing recognition that the right partners can unlock real competitive advantages – granting the ability to build supply chains that are not just efficient, but also resilient, predictable, and scalable.

However, this growth has simultaneously introduced a new level of complexity as the transportation ecosystem remains highly fragmented across carriers, systems, and service providers, which makes coordination and visibility inherently challenging.

“Ultimately, the industry’s growth is very real, but so is the complexity that comes with it.

“The organizations that will lead in this next phase won’t simply be the ones that move freight efficiently, but those that can simplify the ecosystem, integrate disparate systems and partners, and orchestrate their supply chains end-to-end,” Gard adds.

PLANNING, EXECUTION, AND ANALYTICS

At the forefront of technology-enabled 4PL, Sheer supports mid-market shippers to build and operate more efficient, resilient, and intelligent supply chains.

“Our vision is to be the logistics integrator of choice for this segment, bringing enterprise-grade capabilities together with an intelligence-powered, human-led experience.

“At our core, we’re on a mission to make transportation radically easier to run and manage so our clients can grow profitably,” states Gard.

Sheer is differentiated by its ability to bring together disparate data sources, systems, and operational dynamics into a cohesive model that allows clients to gain clarity, make better decisions, and ultimately facilitate more effective and durable supply chain programs.

“Rather than operating in silos, we integrate planning, execution, and analytics into a single, orchestrated approach,” he highlights.

Sheer’s core offerings reflect this approach, providing managed transportation and 4PL services that oversee the full transportation lifecycle, supported by its Transportation Management System (TMS) platform for execution and visibility.

A noteworthy example is the company’s SheerExchange™ integration software, which enables seamless connectivity across enterprise resource planning (ERP), warehouse management systems (WMS), and external partner systems, ensuring clean data flows.

Building on this foundation, Sheer also offers logistics consulting and execution, freight auditing and payment, advanced analytics, and continuous optimization, alongside multimodal capacity and value-added logistics services when and where clients need it.

The company primarily serves mid-market manufacturers, consumer product companies, food and beverage organizations, and chemical producers – which all require sophisticated logistics capabilities but often lack the scale or internal resources to build and manage them independently.

Sheer reaches its clients through a vast regional footprint across North America, with offices in Chicago, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; and Atlanta, Georgia, operating alongside a distributed team and additional resources supporting cross-border operations in Laredo, Texas and Guadalajara, Mexico.

INTEGRATION-FIRST APPROACH

Sheer expertly optimizes the supply chains of mid-market businesses by taking an integration-first approach to managed transportation – something the company believes is fundamentally different from how many providers in the market operate today.

“At its core, our model is built around the idea that you don’t need to rip and replace your existing systems to achieve a step change in performance. Instead, we integrate across them,” Gard emphasizes.

Indeed, Sheer connects clients’ ERP, WMS, TMS, carrier systems, and other data sources through an integration layer, creating a unified and actionable view of their networks.

From there, the company orchestrates an entire transportation ecosystem where planning, execution, carrier management, visibility, and analytics are all brought together into a cohesive operating model that is continuously monitored and improved.

This orchestration continues to drive meaningful outcomes, improve service performance, and provide end-to-end visibility and governance, allowing mid-market leadership teams to manage their supply chains proactively with reliable data.

In fact, many of these businesses are underserved by traditional 4PL providers that tend to focus on large global enterprises, while also being overwhelmed by a fragmented landscape of point solutions that don’t work cohesively.

“This is what distinguishes Sheer. We don’t just plug into a supply chain and operate within its existing constraints – we integrate, orchestrate, and continuously optimize it.

“In an increasingly saturated market where many providers are either transactional or narrowly focused, our ability to bring cohesion to complexity is what allows us to deliver sustained, measurable value,” explains Gard.

MERGING MODERNITY AND TRADITION

Sheer has built the business around the belief that meaningful supply chain transformation doesn’t come from technology or operations alone, but a deliberate combination of both.

“Our model brings together deep execution expertise, a purpose-built technology layer, and a modern analytics and data foundation to deliver outcomes that neither could achieve independently,” Gard details.

Indeed, the company utilizes its decades of experience in carrier procurement, freight brokerage, and day-to-day transportation operations to ensure strict operational discipline.

Layered on top of that is Sheer’s technology stack, including its TMS for planning and execution and SheerExchange integration platform.

Above this sits the company’s data and analytics services, where it provides real-time dashboards, carrier and lane benchmarking, and increasingly, predictive insights that help clients move from reactive to proactive decision-making.

Underpinning all of this is a modern data program built on scalable data infrastructure, warehousing, and science capabilities that enable Sheer to deploy practical artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions that deliver tangible value.

With the conviction that technology is only as effective as the people and processes behind it, the company ensures its capabilities are both practical and impactful, offering real-time visibility across clients’ entire network, structured exception management workflows, and predictive analytics that inform better planning and execution.

“Ultimately, we’re not a technology company trying to learn logistics, nor are we a traditional broker trying to bolt on technology.

“We’re purpose-built to bring these elements together, combining human expertise with modern platforms and data-driven insights to deliver solutions that help our clients grow profitably while continuously improving their supply chain performance,” notes Gard.

BACKBONE OF SUPPLY CHAIN MOBILITY

With this steadfast mission in mind, Sheer is investing heavily in agentic AI capabilities and the ways in which it can address underlying data and integration challenges often experienced across the industry.

“This isn’t a single, standalone ‘AI project’ – it’s the foundational architecture that makes agentic AI in supply chains actually possible,” Gard elaborates.

A key component of this effort is the development of SheerExchange, which serves as the backbone of how data moves across its clients’ supply chains.

As such, the company has invested heavily in creating a clean, normalized, and continuously synchronized data environment that connects ERP, WMS, and TMS platforms, along with carrier systems and third-party visibility providers.

“By automating data orchestration and eliminating manual inputs, we’re able to ensure information is accurate, timely, and consistent across the network.”

Therefore, Sheer has developed the foundation for an agentic AI system that not only provides insights but ensures data is connected and can be trusted.

“Our point of view is simple: before AI can act, your data has to be ready. That’s why we’ve spent so much time building what we often refer to as the ‘plumbing’ – the integration and data infrastructure that allows intelligent systems to operate across the supply chain.

“We see the prospect of AI not as a novel feature, but as the true basis for a fundamentally different orchestration model,” Gard sets out.

SUSTAINABILITY OVERSIGHT

Sustainability has become an important priority for Sheer’s clients, and with that, the company has taken a practical, data-driven approach to helping them measure and reduce their environmental impact, particularly when it comes to Scope 3 carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions.

A pioneer in Scope 3 reporting, Sheer continues to support clients with detailed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting, giving them a clear, defensible view of their carbon impact across their networks.

“That visibility is critical, not just for internal decision-making, but also for meeting growing expectations from customers, regulators, and investors around transparency and accountability,” says Gard.

SheerExchange is a key enabler of this capability, allowing the company to capture the underlying shipment data needed to calculate emissions accurately and consistently.

Therefore, rather than relying on estimates or disconnected datasets, Sheer’s clients benefit from a continuously synchronized, audit-ready data foundation that supports both reporting and optimization.

From there, the company puts these insights into action, using the data to help clients identify opportunities to reduce emissions intensity through smarter network design, whether that’s shifting modes from truckload to intermodal where appropriate, consolidating loads to reduce empty miles, or optimizing routing and carrier selection.

“In many cases, these initiatives don’t just lower carbon output; they also reduce cost, reinforcing our belief that sustainability and efficiency are fundamentally aligned.

“What this approach enables is confidence – our clients aren’t just reporting numbers; they understand where these numbers come from, how they’re calculated, and what actions they can take to improve them,” Gard outlines.

FOUNDATIONS FOR GROWTH

Sheer sees a very strong runway for growth in the coming years, driven by a multitude of internal investments and the evolution of the wider market.

One of its top priorities includes laying the right supply chain foundations for the increasing influence of agentic AI.

“There’s a lot of momentum in the industry around AI, but our perspective is that many organizations are moving hastily to apply it without first addressing the underlying architecture,” Gard observes.

By building on a solid foundation, the company can ensure its AI applications deliver on the promise of accelerating and improving execution.

Over time, this foundation will enable more intelligent exception management, greater automation in decision-making, and coordinated multi-agent orchestration across the supply chain.

Sheer is also continuing to invest in advancing its integration and automation capabilities through SheerExchange – expanding its analytics and control tower functionality while also building AI-enabled workflows on top of a strong, scalable foundation.

Additionally, Sheer is focused on deepening its presence within core verticals like manufacturing, consumer packaged goods (CPG), food and beverage, and chemicals, while expanding its ability to support increasingly complex, multi-region supply chains.

“Ultimately, we’re entering a period where supply chain complexity, advanced technology adoption, and broader market dynamics are all converging.

“Because of where we’ve invested and how we’re positioned, we believe Sheer is uniquely equipped to help mid-market shippers navigate that complexity, which creates a significant opportunity for continued growth,” Gard closes.

The post Sheer Logistics : Transforming Mid-market Supply Chain Performance appeared first on Supply Chain Outlook.

REAL ESTATE SOLUTIONS OF THE FUTURE

The global supply chain is one of the most dynamic and consequential fields in today’s economy.

Historically – particularly in the US – supply chain infrastructure was built around reliability and predictability. However, the sector is currently enduring a period of significant change marked by frequent disruptions and growing uncertainty.

Typically, distribution networks have been designed around the demographic center of the country, with the assumption that goods could reach virtually anywhere within five to seven business days.

This model contained a degree of built-in slack, but consumer behavior has since shifted dramatically.

Today, delivery expectations are closer to two to three days, and if consumers do not receive products quickly enough, they are increasingly willing to choose alternatives or even lower-quality products.

This shift has forced organizations to deploy inventory more widely and position themselves closer to end consumers, which, in turn, exposes them to greater levels of disruption
and complexity.

Within this vast and complex field, CBRE provides a platform and the resources for businesses to tackle these challenges in ways that genuinely matter.

“Our company builds real estate solutions of the future to help clients, professionals, and business partners realize their potential,” introduces John Kirkman, Senior Managing Director and Supply Chain Leader at CBRE.

“From instilling confidence in today’s decisions to reimagining tomorrow’s spaces, we thrive in complex and ever-changing environments,” he establishes.

UNMATCHED CAPABILITIES

CBRE is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm and a premier provider of critical infrastructure services, operating in more than 100 countries with approximately 155,000 employees globally.

The business provides a comprehensive range of services across multiple disciplines including advisory and transactions, property management, valuation, and capital markets.

A key differentiator for CBRE is its ability to deliver end-to-end solutions through fully integrated, in-house capabilities, meaning it can support clients across the entire real estate lifecycle.

“My current role sits within the company’s supply chain advisory practice, a capability within our industrial and logistics platform. We operate at the strategic level, helping businesses design distribution networks, select optimal sites, and assess automation investments,” Kirkman explains.

“At its core, our work focuses on aligning real estate decisions with operational requirements and the customer experience our clients aim to deliver,” he adds.

From an investor and developer perspective, CBRE also advises on how assets should be designed and positioned to meet market demand and attract the right tenants over the long term.

“Having insight across both occupier and investor needs enables us to bring a more holistic view of the market.”

In what is an extremely competitive sector, another of the company’s key differentiators is the depth of its technologies and analytical capabilities combined with the breadth of its market perspective, built over many years in the industry.

Unlike some competitors who rely on outsourcing or external specialists for network study services, CBRE hosts these capabilities in-house, enabling seamless collaboration across the platform and ensuring clients receive consistent, high-quality advice.

SHAPING OUTCOMES

Kirkman believes there is an incredible amount happening in the global supply chain right now, and a growing recognition of just how critical the industry is to business’ success is emerging.

“What makes this moment particularly exciting is the convergence of traditional real estate leadership and supply chain leadership. Those conversations are happening in a much more integrated way than before, creating a real alignment between strategy and execution,” he sets out.

“We are seeing a confluence of decisions coming together at once, which is creating a unique opportunity to help shape outcomes in a meaningful way.”

Therefore, CBRE’s role is increasingly about translating a business’ strategy into a physical footprint.

A company’s infrastructure – its assets on the ground and supply chain network – is ultimately a tangible representation of its customer promise.

“How you design and operate that footprint directly determines how you meet customer expectations,” Kirkman muses.

“Being able to help clients make that leap from strategy to execution is incredibly rewarding. It’s challenging, impactful, and very real, which is what makes working in this space so energizing,” he excites.

SUSTAINABILITY AT THE CORE

Sustainability is a focus for CBRE, both internally as a business and in the way it advises its clients.

As such, the company has made a public commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 – a target supported by tangible programs across its global portfolio and value chain.

These include renewable energy initiatives, sustainable procurement practices, and ongoing improvements in resource and operational efficiency.

“For our clients, sustainability has increasingly become a value creation lens rather than simply a compliance requirement,” Kirkman tells us.

“Through our energy and sustainability services, we help organizations reduce costs, mitigate risk, and create value through practical decarbonization strategies, resource optimization, and energy management and procurement, including renewables,” he expands.

Moreover, this work is becoming especially relevant as power availability emerges as a major constraint when it comes to site selection and operational planning. CBRE’s in-house Energy team helps clients navigate power procurement and energy market volatility.

From a supply chain perspective, sustainability also needs to be considered holistically, and as transportation represents the largest component of total cost of ownership for most facilities, reducing miles traveled can have a direct and measurable impact on carbon emissions.

“By helping clients rethink network design and inventory placement, we can reduce emissions while simultaneously improving service levels and operational resilience.”

Similarly, automation readiness and sustainability are also highly complementary goals – automated facilities tend to be more energy efficient, with more precise resource usage and fewer variables in day to day operations.

“This makes it easier to monitor performance in real-time and to track, manage, and reduce operational carbon emissions. Together, these factors allow clients to build supply chains that are more efficient, resilient, and sustainable over the long-term,” Kirkman asserts.

FUTURE SOLUTIONS

Ultimately, the legacy that Kirkman hopes to cement for CBRE is that it becomes synonymous with helping companies build supply chains that are truly durable.

“We’re not just building systems that are optimized for a single point in time, but networks that are resilient, automation ready, and designed around where commerce is heading – not just where it is today,” he clarifies.

“As delivery expectations continue to compress and businesses move away from five to seven day fulfilment models and toward greater immediacy, it becomes essential to anticipate future needs rather than react to current pressures.”

Recent global disruptions have exposed how brittle much of the existing supply chain infrastructure really is.

That has reinforced the need to think beyond short term fixes and focus instead on long-term performance – how assets function over time, adapt to change, and continue to serve occupiers and capital partners through multiple cycles.

“The legacy I would like us to leave is one of helping companies and investors build something better – supply chains and assets that are resilient, future proofed, and thoughtfully designed for what comes next, rather than solutions that simply address today’s challenges,” Kirkman concludes optimistically.

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SMART PACKAGING FOR A HEALTHY PLANET

The cardboard box has become one of the most visible symbols of global commerce.

Every day, millions of packages arrive on doorsteps across the US, each one representing a complex supply chain journey that begins in a warehouse somewhere in the world.

Yet, for decades, one critical step in that journey remained surprisingly inefficient – the box itself.

That inefficiency is exactly what Brian Reinhart, Chief Revenue Officer, and the Packsize team are working to change.

Reinhart is helping to lead a shift in how businesses think about packaging, moving away from standardized boxes and excess filler materials toward intelligent, automated systems that create the right sized box for every shipment.

In an era defined by e-commerce growth, rising transportation costs, labor shortages, and increasing sustainability expectations, Reinhart believes packaging can no longer be treated as an afterthought in the fulfillment process.

“For a long time, packaging in distribution centers was treated as a commodity step at the very end of the fulfillment process. Companies invested heavily in optimizing picking, robotics, and shipping networks, but the box itself was often an afterthought. Yet, packaging sits right at the intersection of cost, sustainability, labor, and the customer experience,” Reinhart opens.

“That realization is what drew me into the space. When you start looking closely at packaging operations, you see enormous inefficiencies: oversized boxes, wasted corrugate, excess filler material, higher shipping costs, underutilization of labor, and unnecessary transportation emissions.”

Now, packaging is becoming a strategic lever for improving efficiency across the entire supply chain.

“At Packsize, that’s exactly the challenge we focus on. Our goal is to transform packaging from a static commodity into a dynamic, intelligent system that adapts to every order,” explains Reinhart.

“Being at the forefront of an industry transformation like that is incredibly exciting.”

THE PERFECT FIT

Packaging has a surprisingly large impact on the overall efficiency of the supply chain.

Small improvements at the packaging stage can ripple through the entire logistics network – from warehouse productivity to transportation efficiency to the customer’s unboxing experience.

As companies continue to modernize their operations, packaging will increasingly be recognized as an area where technology and innovation can deliver meaningful improvements.

“The box may be the last thing a company touches before shipping a product, but it is the first thing a customer touches when receiving a product, and it has the power to influence everything that happens before and after,” explains Reinhart.

Packsize was founded on a simple but powerful idea – every product deserves a box that fits perfectly.

“Instead of stocking dozens of pre-made box sizes, our systems create the exact box needed for each order in real time,” he informs.

The company provides a broad range of automated packaging solutions for some of the world’s largest retailers, manufacturers, and third-party logistics providers.

Its technology integrates directly into fulfillment operations and can scale from smaller pack stations to highly automated packaging lines capable of handling high-volume e-commerce environments.

Operating globally with a presence across North America and Europe, Packsize serves over 3,000 customer facilities.

The team includes engineers, supply chain specialists, software developers, and operations experts who work together to help customers rethink packaging as part of a broader operational strategy.

“What makes Packsize unique is that we’re not just delivering machines – we provide an integrated solution that combines automation, software, packaging design, and corrugate supply to optimize how packaging functions within the fulfillment process,” Reinhart highlights.

PACKAGING AS A SYSTEM

Whereas traditional packaging solutions often only focus on one element of the process, Packsize looks at the entire workflow, from the moment an order is picked to the moment it leaves the facility.

“We approach packaging as a system, not just a piece of equipment,” affirms Reinhart.

“Our systems dynamically determine the optimal box size, create it on demand, and integrate directly into the picking or packing process.”

This approach delivers benefits across several dimensions, such as reducing material usage, lowering shipping costs, improving labor efficiency, increasing throughput, and enhancing the customer experience.

Another differentiator is the depth of Packsize’s technology platform, as the company combines advanced machinery, intelligent software, and a global corrugate supply network to create solutions that are both scalable and highly adaptable.

“We provide technology to support oversized items, operations electing to pick directly into the box with automated lidding and closing systems, or operations that would prefer to package last, and we’re the only packaging provider in the world that can say that,” Reinhart acclaims.

Most importantly, Packsize has developed deep expertise after years working with large operations to understand the realities of modern logistics.

That experience allows it to design packaging systems that solve real operational challenges rather than theoretical ones.

“Packaging isn’t just a box anymore – it’s becoming a data-driven system inside the fulfillment operation. Packsize not only understands that, but also knows how to maximize its value,” outlines Reinhart.

RIGHT-SIZED APPROACH

Sustainability has always been a central part of Packsize’s mission and, interestingly, often goes hand in hand with operational efficiency.

“When you reduce excess packaging, you’re not just helping the environment – you’re also reducing material costs, shipping expenses, and transportation emissions,” Reinhart sets out.

“In other words, doing the right thing environmentally often turns out to be the right thing economically as well.”

One of the most visible examples of this is the reduction of void fill and unnecessary packaging material.

When a company ships a product in a box that is much larger than it needs to be, that extra space often requires plastic fillers or additional packing materials.

Right-sizing – creating packaging that fits the product as closely as possible – eliminates much of that waste.

“Packaging has historically relied on a limited number of standard box sizes, which meant products were often shipped in boxes that were significantly larger than necessary,” Reinhart tells us.

“Right-sizing changes that approach. Our systems analyze the dimensions of each product and each order to produce a custom box in real time.”

Packsize can do this in several different ways; if the operation has stock-keeping unit (SKU) data available, it can pre-size the box based on that data.

If, however, the data is unavailable, the system can perform a 3D scan of the products or order on the fly and build the box in real time.

This ability to remove data hygiene as a barrier to entry for right-sizing has been key to adoption across the marketplace.

“The key for us is making the process simple. Businesses are more likely to adopt a technology that minimizes disruption and provides its value without headaches,” emphasizes Reinhart.

“Ease of installation, system performance, uptime, and throughput are all metrics we commit to as part of our partnerships. We understand that packaging is critical to an operation, and our commitment is a baseline requirement for any level of embrace.

“Right-sizing isn’t just about reducing waste – it’s about building smarter supply chains,” he states.

SPARCK ACQUISITION

Packsize now has the full suite of high-volume, right-sized-on-demand packaging technology having acquired Sparck Technologies (Sparck) last year.

Sparck has built an exceptional reputation in the industry for highly automated packaging systems designed for high-volume fulfillment environments.

“Their continuously variable packaging (CVP) technology complemented our existing solutions extremely well,” Reinhart notes.

“We evaluated numerous technologies and companies for potential acquisition and, after exploring Sparck’s CVP Impack and CVP Everest technologies, it became apparent they were best-in-class.”

The acquisition represents an important step in Packsize’s long-term growth strategy, strengthens its global footprint, and accelerates its ability to innovate across the automated packaging space.

“Sparck has a lot of exciting R&D initiatives and new products in the pipeline that we’ve continued to develop and are excited to bring to market in the coming months and years,” shares Reinhart.

With a combined offering of both box-first and box-last solutions, and low and high-automation technology, the combination of Packsize and Sparck creates the most comprehensive portfolio of automated packaging technologies.

Customers today have very different operational needs depending on their order profiles, fulfillment volumes, and facility designs.

By bringing these capabilities together, Packsize is able to support a much broader range of packaging scenarios.

“It also allows us to continue investing in innovation. Automation is evolving rapidly, and the integration of packaging technology with warehouse software, robotics, and data analytics will play an increasingly important role in the future of fulfillment,” Reinhart insights.

“Together, our organizations are well-positioned to lead that next phase of development.”

For Packsize’s customers and partners, it shows the company’s commitment to their long-term success and growth.

“Our goal is to be their one-stop shop for automated packaging, but we understand that to become that level of partner, we must continue to build our portfolio of technologies and internal expertise and maintain and expand our position as the industry leader,” he acknowledges.

THREE FOCUS AREAS

The first of Packsize’s three focus areas moving forward is to continue helping customers rethink packaging as a strategic part of their supply chain operations, rather than a final step in the fulfillment process.

“I still believe we as an industry have a lot of work to do here. Every time I get an overpacked box at my front door, I consider it a failure on my part. We won’t rest until every organization sees right-sizing as a baseline for packaging,” Reinhart asserts.

Second, Packsize is continuing to invest in automation and intelligent packaging solutions that integrate more deeply with warehouse technologies and order management systems.

“Ease of integration and ease of use are critical. Once the market is aware of the technology and the benefits, we must ensure the barrier to entry is as low as possible,” he elaborates.

Lastly, the company is focused on executing successfully upon the adoption of right-sized packaging as companies pursue both operational efficiency and sustainability goals.

“We continue to see adoption rise and substantial year-on-year growth, but that will only continue if we have success in the field.

“The broader vision is simple: a future where packaging is no longer wasteful, inefficient, or static, but instead dynamic, automated, and optimized for every shipment,” concludes Reinhart passionately.

The post Packsize : Smart Packaging for a Healthy Planet appeared first on Supply Chain Outlook.

CARGO AT THE CORE

Having transformed dramatically in recent years, Southern Africa’s logistics environment has shifted from a state of critical, fragmented infrastructure towards a more integrated, digitalised ecosystem designed to boost regional trade. 

“When I first entered the industry, logistics was largely transactional – moving cargo from A to B – whereas today it is strategic and integrated,” introduces Claire Clark, CCO of Nucleus Mining Logistics (NML). 

A mine is often seen as a single operation, but in reality, it functions like a complex machine made up of many interconnected parts.  

“If one component stops, everything stops – and the supply chain is one of the most critical components,” Clark adds.  

Today, mining companies require partners who understand regulatory frameworks, border dynamics, infrastructure constraints, and risk management across multiple countries.  

“The supply chain has become just as critical as the mine itself; if you cannot move equipment, reagents, or products reliably, production stops,” she outlines.  

The industry has also seen a shift from siloed service providers to full-solution logistics partners, with clients placing greater emphasis on visibility, accountability, and predictably.  

As such, logistics is no longer just support function – it’s a production enabler.  

LOGISTICS LIFECYCLE 

As a specialised mining supply chain group, NML supports complex African trade corridors, linking international suppliers to inland mining operations and onward to global markets.  

NML’s involvement in the supply chain begins at the order placement stage, assisting with supplier expedition, consolidation, and coordination of project cargo and mining reagents across sea, road, air, and multimodal transport.  

Cargo moves through NML’s regional network into the mine’s central warehouse for distribution across site operations, and the cycle continues outbound, turning trucks around with exportable metals such as copper, zinc, cobalt, and tin, to name just a few.  

The group also manages escorts where required, coordinating port offloading and distributing products internationally.  

“In simple terms, we support the entire logistics lifecycle from supplier to mine to the world,” Clark surmises.  

NML employs over 100 people, with teams positioned strategically along the corridors it serves.  

“Our client base includes mining houses, construction and engineering contractors, engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) firms, equipment manufacturers, project developers, industrial suppliers, and international trading companies operating within the resources sector,” she outlines. 

To achieve this, the group operates through a structured regional network comprising several resources which, together, create an integrated corridor solution.  

“We’re not simply moving cargo across borders – we’re building stable supply chains across the region,” Clark prides.  

In addition, NML is a member of the CrossTrades Network, enabling global access to trusted logistics partners in key origin countries and seamless coordination of international supplier movements into African corridors.  

“Our business supports both long-term operational mine supply chains and large-scale project cargo movements, with structured teams across commercial, operational, compliance, and border management functions,” she details. 

TRUSTED ECOSYSTEMS 

With a strong customer-focused model, collaborative and strategic partnerships enable NML to solve the challenges facing today’s supply chain.  

“Africa cannot be serviced through a single company alone – success here is built on trusted ecosystems,” Clark emphasises.  

As such, the group partners with transporters, clearing agents, regulators, local operators, and clients themselves.  

“By integrating these relationships rather than competing against them, we remove friction points in the supply chain,” she insights. 

According to Clark, mining operations are like large machines – highly sophisticated, but dependent on many smaller moving parts working together.  

“Logistics is one of those essential cogs. When it functions correctly, production flows; when it doesn’t, the entire operation feels it. Our role is to ensure this critical hub keeps on turning. 

“Our philosophy is simple: we don’t just manage cargo – we manage it responsibly,” Clark asserts. 

As such, partnerships allow NML to proactively solve problems such as border congestion, permit delays, and infrastructure constraints before they become operational disruptions.  

With a proven track record, quality resources, strategic planning abilities, and 25+ years of experience, the group is able to deliver best-in-class logistics solutions. 

“Our experience allows us to anticipate problems rather than react to them,” Clark says. 

NML builds supply chain strategies around border realities, regulatory compliance, infrastructure limitations, risk exposure, and contingency planning.  

“Instead of promising speed, we promise reliability – which ultimately delivers speed,” she adds. 

In this way, the group has supported large mine construction projects as well as long-term operational supply chains.  

This combination grants NML the ability to design logistics that work both during ramp-up and steady-state production. 

OWNERSHIP MENTALITY 

Standing out from the competition, NML operates with an ownership mentality.  

“Whereas many logistics companies simply execute instructions, we challenge them if they introduce risk,” Clark points out.  

The group also maintains an operational presence in the regions it services, with Africa unable to be manged entirely remotely.  

Thus, its teams are strategically positioned along trade corridors, enabling real-time intervention where required.  

“Clients trust us because we communicate honestly – even when the answer is not convenient,” she reveals. 

As it continues to support supply chains into the Central African Copperbelt – one of the world’s most important critical mineral regions – NML is keen to showcase its work in the area.  

These projects are significant because they directly contribute to the global energy transition; copper and cobalt supply chains must be suitable for electrification and renewable energy development worldwide.  

“Our role is to make these operations predictable in environments that are inherently unpredictable,” Clark outlines.  

PEOPLE BUSINESS 

As it seeks to empower staff and recognise their important contributions, NML understands that logistics is a ‘people business’.  

“We invest strongly in training and upskilling because our industry evolves constantly,” Clark informs. 

As such, NML’s team is encouraged to understand the full supply chain – not just their individual role – when it comes to growing within the business.  

Indeed, many staff have been with the group since its earliest days and grown alongside it.  

A focus on teamwork and a positive working environment means individuals feel trusted to take ownership and make important decisions.  

“At NML, recognition is not only formal; it comes through responsibility, inclusion, and knowing your contribution keeps a mine running, 

“If our people grow, our group grows – simple as that,” Clark asserts. 

Elsewhere, NML participates in corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, particularly around education, as it recognises long-term economic participation is fundamentally linked to access by quality learning.  

For this reason, its corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives are coordinated at group level, which has seen NML partner with Masibambane College and Community Centre in Johannesburg and Education Africa – an organisation specialising in early childhood development and marimba music programmes. 

“Research consistently demonstrates that early cognitive stimulation is one of the most effective interventions for improving lifelong learning ability, curiosity, and ultimately employability and entrepreneurship,” she observes.  

“Our approach is therefore not charity-driven, but capability-driven.”  

FUTURE FOCUS 

As it looks to the future, NML’s focus is on controlled growth.  

Over the past three years, the group has experienced significant expansion across its corridors and service offerings, and its objective now is to continue this trajectory in a structured and sustainable way.  

“We aim to strengthen our African corridor presence, expand our infrastructure support capabilities, deepen strategic partnerships with mines and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and continue building predictable supply chains in complex jurisdictions,” Clark details.  

The group has also recently undergone a rebranding process, which reflects the maturity of the business and the integrated structure it has built. 

“Our rebrand is not simply visual – it represents clarity of identity, alignment across our regional entities, and our commitment to operating as a unified supply chain partner across Africa,” she excites. 

“Growth for us is measured in reliability, not just volume.”  

One of the most humbling parts of NML’s journey so far is that its growth has been driven by people. 

“Our clients have trusted us, our service providers have supported us, our employees have carried the business forwards, and the countries we operate in have welcomed us. Relationships, partnerships, and service have been fundamental to our success,” Clark acknowledges. 

With Africa increasingly at the centre of global supply chains, particularly with a growing international focus on critical minerals from both Eastern and Western markets, its mining sector is booming. 

“Regardless of where investment originates, these mines need stable supply chains – and that is where experienced regional partners are essential. 

“We don’t believe we operate in Africa – we operate Africa,” Clark confidently concludes.

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