The globally active logistics service provider Dachser is now cooperating with another partner organization of the Lamarr Institute. In addition to the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML in Dortmund, the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS in Sankt Augustin near Bonn has also become a research partner of the family-owned company since February 1, 2025. The cooperation takes place as part of the DACHSER Enterprise Lab, which has been bringing science and logistics practice together in mixed innovation teams since 2017.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML and the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS, together with the universities in Bonn and Dortmund, are part of the Lamarr Institute for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, which was founded in 2022. Fraunhofer IAIS is now contributing its expertise in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Big Data to the research partnership with logistics service provider Dachser.
“One key area of logistics where Artificial Intelligence could usefully be applied is in the processing of unstructured data or data in different formats. The industry offers many potential applications for optimizing and automating complex processes in goods flows and supply chains or in customer communication. Looking to the future, AI solutions will become increasingly effective tools for people to use, so we’re delighted to be working with Dachser and our colleagues at Fraunhofer IML in Dortmund to further advance the use of AI in logistics and at Dachser,” says Prof. Dr. Stefan Wrobel, Director of Fraunhofer IAIS.
“Logistics companies that don’t engage with AI today won’t survive on the market in the medium to long term. After all, customer requirements and the complexity of the conditions aren’t getting any less demanding – and that’s before we factor in the growing lack of qualified personnel,” says Stefan Hohm, Chief Development Officer and member of the Executive Board at Dachser. “Whether in the warehouse, in the transit terminal, or in the office, we’re already using AI applications to provide our employees with the best possible support in decision-making and to relieve them of monotonous tasks. This expansion of the DACHSER Enterprise Lab strengthens our expertise in the field of Artificial Intelligence.”
The Kempten-based family-owned company has been operating the DACHSER Enterprise Lab at Fraunhofer IML in Dortmund since 2017, with Fraunhofer scientists working together with Dachser experts to research various digital innovations. In 2023, Dachser and Fraunhofer IML were awarded the German Logistics Award for their joint development of the @ILO digital twin.
“Our long-standing collaboration in the DACHSER Enterprise Lab is a striking example of what you can achieve when you interlink science and business to come up with innovations for practical application. Winning the 2023 German Logistics Award was also an accolade for our successful Enterprise Lab format,” says Prof. Dr. Alice Kirchheim, Director of Fraunhofer IML.
About Dachser
Dachser, a family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, provides transport logistics, warehousing, and customized services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network – both in Europe and overseas – and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.
Thanks to some 34,000 employees at 377 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 7.1 billion in 2023. The same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 77.4 million shipments weighing 40.0 million metric tons. Dachser is represented by its own country organizations in 42 countries.
For more information about Dachser, please visit dachser.com
