Mitsui has invested in TCI Cold Chain Solutions Ltd to meet the country’s growing demand for temperature-controlled logistics solutions. Mitsui’s investment in TCI’s cold chain business builds on over two decades of cooperation between the two companies, dating back to the joint founding in 1999 of Transystem Logistics International Pvt Ltd., a logistics company serving India’s automotive sector with just in time delivery of automobile components and service parts. Faisal Ashraf, Managing Director of Mitsui & Co. India said, “We expect the cold chain logistics industry in India to expand rapidly, now and in a post-COVID world, in response to growing demand from the pharmaceutical sector particularly for COVID-19 vaccines, changing consumption patterns with a growing preference for fresh agricultural produce, and the continued rise of e-commerce.” Vineet Agarwal, Managing Director of TCI said, “We look forward to joining forces with Mitsui — a familiar and trusted partner — in our cold chain business. Our 60+ years of legacy as one of the leaders in Indian logistics space synergized with Mitsui’s global expertise in logistics and supply chain management positions us well to deliver best-in-class services to the customers.”

Etihad Cargo signed a Proof-of-Concept agreement with SPEEDCARGO, the logistics technology solutions provider, to utilise the Singapore-based provider’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) products to boost cargo capacity on flights. The agreement makes Etihad Cargo the second aviation company worldwide to leverage the Cargo Eye dimensioning system, and among only a few global carriers to trial SPEEDCARGO’s AI-powered Cargo Mind software solution, which delivers optimal cargo space planning and utilisation in seconds in full adherence to regulations and business constraints. “Etihad Cargo’s goal is to assess whether implementing Cargo Eye and Cargo Mind could ensure a complete end-to-end process which totally transforms airfreight operations,” explained Martin Drew, SVP Sales and Cargo at Etihad Aviation Group. “The Proof-of-Concept will confirm whether these advanced SPEEDCARGO products can boost efficiency, productivity and revenue return through digital technology solutions, with the plan to integrate them into our operations in 2022.”

Inmarsat has extended its Fleet Xpress service agreement with Maersk Supply Service to include fleet wide IoT-based ship management connectivity on separate, dedicated bandwidths. The extension has also enabled Maersk Supply Service to evaluate new vessel performance tools for selection, available through Inmarsat’s Certified Application Provider (CAP) programme. Operating off Europe, the Americas, West Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia, the 30-vessel Maersk offshore fleet includes some of the most modern anchor handlers and subsea support vessels in the industry. Under a long-term Fleet Xpress agreement, connectivity will now include dedicated Inmarsat Fleet Connect for key digital applications and a commitment to the Fleet Data IoT platform for data acquisition and uploading. “Maersk Supply Service is pursuing digitalisation to support optimised fleet management and to improve vessel energy efficiency. Software-based digital solutions have a significant advantage over hardware-based counterparts as they can be deployed fleet-wide at the push of a button,” said Kasper Thiesen, Head of IT, Maersk Supply Service (MSS). “By having the underlying Fleet Data, Fleet Connect infrastructure and sensor data collectors installed on our vessels, we have unlocked a portfolio of digital services which we can deploy to our fleet and bring to market in little-to-no time. As the digital eco-system develops, more solutions will become available, increasing our ability to remain agile and support our journey to decarbonise, and entry into renewable industries”. Fleet Data enables digitalisation across the full scope of vessel operations, using cloud-based analytics, which is agnostic of OEM-specific applications or sensor technologies. Owner-operators are free to choose which areas will benefit most from predictive analytics and decision-making. The new agreement will accommodate rapid scaling up of new IoT-based vessel performance applications fleet wide. …

The UK’s largest port operator, Associated British Ports (ABP) is bringing forward more than 1,000 acres (4,046,856 m²) of development land to support the UK’s supply chain, manufacturing and renewable energy sectors. ABP operates 21 ports around the UK and is making 14 strategic sites, encompassing a total of 1,075 acres, available for a range of business uses. “This initiative will enable a growing number of businesses to leverage our land, property partnering expertise and power capacity. We believe this can make a significant contribution to the country’s economic vibrancy and supply chain efficiency,” commented ABP’s Chief Executive Officer, Henrik L. Pedersen. A first tranche of 14 sites is being brought forward at ports including: Cardiff, Immingham, Newport, Port Talbot, Southampton and Hull. Next year will see the release of further opportunities, while all locations benefit from strong rail and road connectivity plus renewable energy generation, according to a statement. During the next 18 months, ABP has committed to spending more than US$6.5 million to make the sites ready for development, obtaining appropriate outline planning consents, technical understanding and carrying out essential land preparation. “The country needs more distribution hubs adjacent to major conurbations with a good labour supply and which can connect into our road and rail networks,” said Bruce Robertson, head of supply chain and consumer advisory at CBRE, which is advising ABP on the initiative. “The need for more warehouse space to fulfil online retailing, which is growing and was accelerated by the pandemic, plus ongoing labour shortages are putting unprecedented pressure on the UK’s supply chain,” he added. The UK currently has the third-highest e-commerce penetration ratio globally at 24 per cent with an annual online …

Gateway Terminals India (GTI), a subsidiary of APM Terminals Mumbai, has secured a new weekly intra-Asia service. RCL Feeders, Pacific International Lines, CU Lines, and Inter Asia Lines run the RWA1 (RCL feeders China-Western India Service) service, which uses five vessels in a 35-day cycle with RCL feeders as the berth window holder. On November 15, the service’s first call was received at the Mumbai terminal. The loop includes the ports of Nansha- Shekou – Singapore – Westport – Northport – Nhava Sheva – Mundra – Westport – Haiphong – Nansha. Speaking on the new call, Girish Aggarwal, COO, GTI, says, “GTI has always been at the forefront of customer service and we are glad to be a part of this service that connects Asia with our port. The service will provide an opportunity to our customers to expand their market and connect to Asian countries that are untapped. We believe our infrastructure and capabilities will help us to operate this service in the most efficient manner, thereby ensuring cost-effective and safe transit of cargoes of our customers.”

Shreyas Shipping and Logistics, a subsidiary of India’s Transworld Group, has acquired its first bulk carrier, diversifying beyond its container roots. The 12-year-old Ocean Rider handy bulk carrier was purchased for $14.175 million by Shreyas from Doriko of South Korea. TBC Badrinath will be the new name for the 34,250 dwt ship, bringing the Shreyas fleet to 12 ships. Shreyas also announced in a press statement that it has signed a contract for a second, unnamed bulk carrier, which it will receive later this month.

Across the globe, many Logistics companies are riding on a wave of growth after the waning of the second wave of COVID-19. FIBS Logistics Pte. Ltd., has been one of those. Showing massive growth in the last one year, they today already have 17 offices spread across countries, such as Singapore, UAE, India, Hong Kong, China, Thailand and Indonesia. This is just the start of their ambitious plan of being a major powerhouse in the Asia Pacific region, said Dieter Warnke, Head of Finance & HR at FIBS. He added that they are targeting to open a few more offices within the region in the coming few months. He believes that there are majorly two things that separate the company’s growth after a level and they are its team and IT systems. Companies who constantly & rightly invest in them will outperform their peers in the market. FIBS Logistics is one of the many who has entrusted Logi-Sys – The Next Generation ERP from Softlink Global, India to address their IT needs for all their offices across the globe. Being completely web-based, Logi-Sys can handle all the operations and finances for all their offices giving them the power of connectivity & mobility. Logi-Sys is a completely Web-Based solution, which can be accessed from anywhere, anytime using any device. It majorly handles Freight and Transport movements (International & Domestic) tightly coupled with Billing, Financial Accounting, Customer Visibility and is well supported by the Warehouse operations. It also supports eAWB filing, Ocean Carrier connectivity & Manifest submissions for many countries. For Dieter Warnke, the most important aspect which truly impressed him was the swift & yet smooth implementation process followed by Softlink …

CEVA Logistics recently received the inaugural PRISM Award for sustainability from ASM International N.V. as part of ASM’s annual Supplier Day awards program in recognition of CEVA’s energy conservation efforts. One of only two companies to win the global award, CEVA opened a state-of-the-art, in-house operations site in July at ASM International NV’s new global manufacturing headquarters in Singapore. Sustainability was a key theme of ASM’s Supplier Day as the semiconductor manufacturer looks to increase the impact of its sustainability initiatives. The PRISM award distinguishes CEVA Logistics as not only a reliable partner offering responsive logistics solutions but also an advocate for sustainability initiatives, providing its customers with Better Ways to manage their supply chain requirements. Focusing on reductions in energy consumption, CEVA Logistics implemented a new control system to regulate the existing air conditioning systems in the warehouse to be more efficient, delivering 40 percent energy savings with minimal impact to operations and without any modifications to existing HVAC-R equipment at the facility. At the 95,000 square-foot ASM facility in Singapore, nearly 150 CEVA employees deliver critical logistics support, such as inventory and storage management, spare part management, kitting, trash removal, and cleanroom packing, along with other value-added services supporting manufacturing activities, including transportation. Says Elaine Low, managing director of Southeast Asia and Pacific, CEVA Logistics, “We strongly support our customer’s strategy to grow through innovation, while keeping sustainability as a key focus in the semiconductor industry. As part of the CMA CGM Group, CEVA Logistics is strongly committed to the protection of the environment as we deliver responsive logistics for our customers. It’s an honor for us to receive this inaugural recognition from ASM as recognition of our …

Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) has opened its revolutionary new Integrated Hactl Control Centre (iHCC), creating a single command centre that is manned 24/7/365. The iHCC centralises operations control, systems control and maintenance control for the first time, with duty managers able to monitor the entire SuperTerminal 1 facility – from traffic management at its truck parks through the many different functional areas of the terminal, to cargo dispatch activities at the airside area. Before the opening of the iHCC, monitoring and controlling functions were decentralised to the individual Operations, Engineering and Facilities Services, and Information Services departments, which created a time lag in data collection and sharing. The iHCC provides comprehensive real-time data, and workload forecasts for the coming eight hours, enabling instant adjustments to be made to staffing and resources to cope with any unexpected workload peaks. The iHCC also serves as a fully-integrated emergency centre, facilitating the involvement of the crisis management team, and coordinating actions across all departments, to ensure effective decision-making and proactive responses to crises. The Centre’s concept is similar to the emergency centres now found in many airlines and major airports around the world. Says Executive Director – Operations, Paul Cheng: “iHCC provides totally-comprehensive, accurate and instantaneous information on every aspect of Hactl’s giant operation; this is available to those managers with the required access rights, providing them with a holistic view of the operational status of both cargo and flights. “Not only does this enable us to run our everyday operations at a new level of efficiency, it means we can forecast potential problems before they create issues. That places us in a better position to cope with every kind …

Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Aviation Group, has entered into a Proof-of-Concept agreement with SPEEDCARGO, the leading-edge logistics technology solutions provider, to utilise the Singapore-based provider’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) products to boost cargo capacity on flights. The landmark agreement makes Etihad Cargo only the second aviation company worldwide to leverage the CARGO EYE dimensioning system, and among only a few global carriers to trial SPEEDCARGO’s AI-powered CARGO MIND software solution, which delivers optimal cargo space planning and utilisation in seconds in full adherence to regulations and business constraints. “Etihad Cargo’s goal is to assess whether implementing CARGO EYE and CARGO MIND could ensure a complete end-to-end process which totally transforms airfreight operations,” explained Martin Drew, SVP Sales and Cargo at Etihad Aviation Group. “The Proof-of-Concept will confirm whether these advanced SPEEDCARGO products can boost efficiency, productivity and revenue return through digital technology solutions, with the plan to integrate them into our operations in 2022.” CARGO EYE, developed with Microsoft’s cutting-edge Time-of-Flight sensing technology, captures imagery of incoming cargo and calculates accurate dimensions based on cargo type, size, and packaging in real-time, while seamlessly integrating the data into existing warehouse management systems. The solution also feeds data into CARGO MIND to accurately build load plans, monitor, and promote data compliance, and identify damaged cargo to reduce potential claims. “Etihad Cargo is the first airline to propose using SPEEDCARGO’s new CARGO MIND-Airline Product for early-stage flight planning and creation of final booking lists and first-level load plan within the airline ecosystem,” Dr. Suraj Nair, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, SPEEDCARGO. “Thereafter, working with their GHA’s where SPEEDCARGO’s GHA solutions are deployed Etihad Cargo will further maximize …