“Future of Transport 2026”: Electrification, Digitalization, and Resilience.
A Look Ahead to 2030. How can decarbonization be achieved in road transport? Is electrification the key? And what might the status quo in the transportation industry look like? At the third edition of “Future of Transport – Zukunft Transport,” a joint industry event organized by Shipzero, Sovereign Speed, Renault Trucks, Shell, Milence, and KLU, questions and scenarios were lively discussed by approximately 200 participants.
Electrification—a realistic scenario?
The question of propulsion technologies of tomorrow sparked controversy. Nanno Janssen is convinced that the future—at least on the road—is electric: “The technology works, and electrification is getting easier every year,” explained the KLU alumnus and Chief Strategy Officer of Nanno Janssen GmbH, an owner-managed freight forwarding company with 90 vehicles, 60 of which are already electric. Sascha Hähnke, Managing Director of REMONDIS Sustainable Services GmbH, countered from the perspective of the industry giant: “We’re talking about around one million commercial vehicles on German highways. If they all run on electricity, we’ll run out of power.” With about 100,000 electric trucks, however, a power shortage is not yet an urgent problem—and that leaves time to expand renewable energy sources.
Active Participation by Attendees
Through keynote speeches, panel discussions, and startup pitches—but above all through workshops, best-practice sessions, and fishbowl sessions—topics were explored in depth, highlighting just how exciting current developments are. The day was moderated by Aileen Schmuck, Head of Open Innovation & Ecosystems at the Digital Hub Logistics & Commerce. A recurring theme: How can the transportation transition succeed? The “Top 5” necessary prerequisites:
- Sufficiently affordable, green energy
- Process-integrated charging
- Depots are becoming energy hubs
- Connected, intelligent systems enable sharing
- Crisis resilience through diversification of powertrains
A fundamental transformation is on the horizon
A key insight from “Future of Transport”: The transition goes far beyond alternative powertrains. It is leading to a systemic realignment of infrastructure, network planning, business models, and partnerships in the transportation industry, according to Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen, KLU. “From the outside, electrification may seem to be progressing slowly, but within companies, a rapid transformation is taking place that is fundamentally changing the industry.”
The Status Quo in 2030
A possible scenario for an electrified transportation system in 2030: Logistics companies generate their own green electricity through solar panels on depot roofs and share available charging capacity. Bookings are made via specialized platforms, while AI agents handle route planning, taking into account battery status, charging points, and topography.
A Look at Critical Infrastructure
But what does the increasing focus on e-mobility mean for our resilience? “Hybrid attacks are currently a major issue,” emphasized Prof. Dr. Hanno Friedrich, who heads the FORTE research project at KLU. The project aims to improve civil resilience in times of crisis, particularly the food supply. In addition to natural disasters, wars, and cyberattacks, power outages are classic crisis scenarios—and logistics always plays a central role in crisis management. Companies should therefore strengthen their resilience early on. Systemically important companies—that is, those considered indispensable to the functioning of the economy and society—are legally required to implement appropriate measures.
With a wide range of insights and intensive discussion, “Zukunft Transport” once again proved to be an important industry event.
More information:
- Program & Speakers
- Conference recap by Prof. Moritz Petersen and Timo Landener. Listen to the podcast episode of “Das Gleiche in Grün?!” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podigee (German language)
