What will logistics look like in 2050?
Deutsche Post DHL collaborated with various futurists, scientists and researchers to make realistic predictions about our world in 2050 in a detailed study titled “Delivering Tomorrow: Logistics 2050.”
The study was developed with the support of 42 highly respected experts including Klaus Töpfer (former German Environmental Minister and Director of the U.N. Environmental Program), Fatih Birol (Chief Economist of the International Energy Agency) and Michael ten Hompel (Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics), as well as leading representatives of such organizations as the World Economic Forum, the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK), the Rocky Mountain Institute, the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Greenpeace International.
This is a very detailed study and there is much to consider here for logistics and supply chain professionals. The central finding is a comprehensive collection of five credible and occasionally radical versions of life in 2050.
These scenarios show how different the world could appear in 2050 in terms of the degree of globalization, the extent of economic and social development, predominant technology standards and environmental conditions. I think every possibility was considered BUT the Zombie Apocalypse.
Each vision shares a common element: the broadly transformed role of logistics. Overall demand for logistics services does indeed climb in most of the five alternative scenarios. But the particular requirements placed on logistics providers and the special challenges they face vary widely from scenario to scenario.
To meet the challenges the future holds, logistics providers need to test alternative transportation solutions and work continuously to improve supply chain efficiency.
For example, the European Commission has set a 60% greenhouse gas (GHG)-reduction target for transportation by 2050, but achieving even a modest reduction in total GHG emissions will be hugely challenging for the logistics industry. This is mainly because demand for logistics services is expected to rise steeply over the next 40 years. The Commission proposes a shift from road to rail or water for freight traveling more than 300 kms or 186 miles.
Whether these scenarios are science fiction or future fact, one thing is clear – logistics and supply chain professionals will need focus on efficiency and sustainability to meet future needs. Only those who systematically prepare can be certain that the future will not only hold challenges and risks, but also opportunities.
Click here to learn more and to download the complete report.
