Following our previous ideation workshop in 2022 at the Rhenus Logistics grounds, it was time for our next workshop because the Foundation’s impactful work must continue. Thirty-four participants and representatives from our Innovation Community convened in Dortmund to brainstorm and discuss the next potential ideation topics the Foundation should work on. Our current Working Groups, including Electronic Transport Documents, Digital Air Cargo, and Open Customs Blockchain, originally born from ideas of our community members, continue to make significant industry developments. The enthusiasm within our Innovation Community is evident, as they eagerly embrace the opportunity to address more logistical challenges through open source collaboration.
Andreas Nettsräter, CEO of Open Logistics Foundation, remarked, “Our recent Ideation Workshop once again demonstrated the strength of our community. Participants from different companies discussed relevant logistics topics with an open mind, resulting in new ideas for future joint implementations. I’m happy about the great participation and the fruitful outcome.”
The spirits were high, and the ideas were flowing!
The Ideation workshop kicked off with a morning meet and greet, leading to the official event commencement with a warm welcome and day overview. The day followed the “open space” methodology and principles, creating an ideal environment for open and collaborative discussions. Participants engaged in a session of topic collection, answering the overarching question, “What current issues and challenges do you see in your organisation that can only be solved together with other companies?” Participants then openly shared their current organisational challenges that require collective solutions. All proposed ideas and topics were documented, setting the stage for the subsequent sessions.
The marketplace session followed. Participants walked up to the board that displayed all the proposed topics, and could choose the topics they wanted to work on according to their interests. The first parallel discussion sessions commenced right after, where the participants split into different topics to dive deeper into the selected topics. The different groups discussed the topics, and the aspects such as the starting point, open challenges/questions, identified solution ideas, the commodity and non-commodity parts, the commodity level, and interested parties in continuing the idea were defined on the provided posters.
Parallel discussion session in progress
An open lunch break session provided a networking opportunity, followed by a second parallel discussion session on the remaining topics. An open coffee break preceded the Harvest and final session, where results from parallel discussions were presented, offering participants a comprehensive view of each topic’s potential. Group representatives shared detailed insights, allowing participants to reflect and identify future collaboration interests.
The Ideation Workshop 2023 concluded with an exciting tour of the Fraunhofer IML, featuring insights into current developments such as O³dyn, the Exoskeleton Lab, and more. This provided a fitting conclusion, showcasing various innovations, including open source-powered solutions, contributing to the efficiency of the logistics sector.
Participants on tour of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML
The Open Logistics Foundation expresses gratitude to all participants and the Fraunhofer IML team for contributing to the day’s success. Stay tuned for updates on the discussed ideation topics in the coming weeks!
