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Dr Nikolaos Tsampieris and Dr Eusebiu Catana, Senior Managers at ERTICO (ITS Europe) explain to Alistair Gollop how 6G and AI will revolutionise ITS and logistics in particular.
In the near future, the logistics industry will experience a dramatic shift in how it operates, driven by the convergence of Sixth Generation (6G) wireless networks and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This potent combination is poised to transform freight transportation, warehousing and last-mile delivery, creating a highly intelligent and self-learning ecosystem. By enabling unprecedented levels of connectivity and data analysis, these technologies will move logistics away from its fragmented, reactive state towards a responsive, proactive and fully optimised model.
The arrival of 6G, the successor to 5G, will bring with it a step-change in wireless technology. It promises ultra-high capacity, microsecond-level latency and truly ubiquitous connectivity for billions of devices simultaneously. This immense capability will enable the real-time sharing of data across the entire logistics network, from the factory floor to the customer's doorstep. IoT-enabled infrastructure, including delivery vans and drones, smart warehouses, seaports and airports, will be in constant communication, creating a seamless and integrated network where data flows freely and instantly.
This enhanced connectivity will enable a suite of high-impact applications that are currently only conceptual. Imagine real-time Digital Twins, virtual replicas of entire supply chains that are continuously updated by data from millions of sensors, vehicles and other IoT devices. This will give logistics managers a complete and up-to-the-minute overview, allowing them to simulate scenarios and identify potential issues long before they occur. Furthermore, the extreme precision of 6G will provide sub-centimetre indoor and outdoor localisation, a critical requirement for autonomous warehouse operations and delivery robots. A key feature of 6G will be its 'Zero Gap Coverage', ensuring global communication across vast distances, including remote ports and international shipping routes, via integrated Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN).
Working with 6G, AI will serve as the intelligent engine that leverages this flood of real-time data to drive better decisions. Sophisticated machine learning algorithms will analyse historical patterns and live information to predict demand, refine delivery routes and pinpoint potential disruptions before they escalate. AI will make logistics operations fundamentally more autonomous, with smart trucks, drones and robots navigating their environments and managing workflows powered by real-time 6G data streams. Predictive demand forecasting will allow AI to anticipate supply and demand fluctuations with far greater accuracy, helping to minimise shortages and to reduce waste. Similarly, dynamic route optimisation will enable real-time vehicle re-routing based on live information about traffic, weather and supply, dramatically improving delivery efficiency.
The combined force of 6G and AI will automate the vast majority of logistical operations, making them faster, more transparent and significantly more reliable. The synergy of these two transformative technologies will herald an era of agile and sustainable supply chains. This autonomous, smarter and safer generation of logistics will not only drive innovation and economic growth but will also contribute to a more sustainable future for the transport and distribution sector.
To find out more about how 6G and AI are set to transform frieght and logistics, try watching our video 6G and AI Enabling Future Logistics on the @ITSNow YouTube Channel -
See the video