Yesterday, Swiss forwarder Panalpina opened a six-floor, 25,800-square-meter air- and oceanfreight logistics center in Singapore, targeting demand for its services from clients in the energy, healthcare, technology, manufacturing and fashion industries operating through the tiny nation.
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Panalpina CEO Stefan Karlen said, “more than one-third of the space is occupied by two customers alone,” naming Korean retailer Metro and Royal Dutch Shell (Shell) as two of its most prominent clients set to utilize the warehouse space. “Ninety-sox out of our top 100 customers globally have a base in Singapore, so it makes perfect sense to extend our capabilities in this dynamic city-state.”
The company said it plans to test new logistics technology at the facility, including augmented reality systems, which can be used to improve inventory management efficiency, the implementation of “internet of things” systems and, potentially, the use of 3D printers for distributed manufacturing.