In the logistic industry, innovation, digitalisation, and sustainable growth are currently among the most important topics. A combination of an established company and an innovative start-up can deliver just that, proven by the successful cooperation between BlueBox Systems, one of the leading developer of intelligent air cargo tracking solutions, and Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, one of the biggest medium-sized logistics companies in Germany. At the Logistics Summit, the trade fair and conference about digitalization and innovation in the logistic industry, both BlueBlox Systems and Hellmann explained in Dusseldorf the benefits of this collaboration, when company and start-up work together.

“BlueBox Systems delivers fresh ideas, agility, new technologies and above all speed – for example in implementation – to this partnership. They are on fire about their product and are very determined,” explained Stefan Borggreve, who as Chief Digital Officer and member of the Executive Board is responsible for innovation and transformation at Hellmann, during the panel discussion entitled “Corporates vs. Start-ups: Why it takes 2 to scale!“. Another advantage, he said, is the mentality of BlueBox Systems. “When working with start-ups, we benefit from the fact that they can experiment easily, due to their lean structures, and thus learn very quickly,” Borggreve said.

Martin Bernemann, Chief Technical Officer at BlueBox Systems, added: “A big advantage for us is Hellmann’s market overview and market access, as well as the different perspectives that automatically exist in corporate projects. In turn, Hellmann gets fresh know-how, state-of-the-art technology, and agility from us. So both sides benefit.“

Hellmann is a globally active full-service provider and is using the intelligent air freight tracking solution BlueBox Air from BlueBox Systems for two years, offering it to its customers as “SmartAir!”, due to a white-label-solution. The web-based tracking solution enables monitoring the whole air freight with just a few clicks. Thanks to the date of more than 130 airlines and 1600 airports accessed by the system of BlueBox Systems, user can track the position of the aircraft and thus of the cargo in real time at any time. They can also pick up the estimated time of arrival, prevent possible delays and thus save costs. The tracking platform provides a total of about 40 million status information per day.

“When collaborating with start-ups, it’s important for us to give them access to resources and mentoring as soon as possible, and without a lot of bureaucracy,” said Lena Haartje, Key Account Manager Smart Solutions at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics. “Another crucial point is that when working together with start-ups, you don’t just treat them as suppliers, but meet them as equals.” Martin Bernemann said: “When companies and start-ups work together, both sides want transparency. The start-ups expect clear communication from the companies, how far the decision-making process really is. And the companies expect clear communication from the start-ups, what they can really deliver. At BlueBox Systems, we place a high value on communicating proactively and delivering as promised. That’s our claim.”