Innovation, technology and sustainability: keys to the evolution of the logistics sector in Spain, according to Proequity

• According to the consultancy firm, environmental and social commitment is at the heart of the construction of new logistics warehouses.
• David Martínez, Founder and CEO of Proequity, “there is a great deal of work ahead, both from the public and private sectors, in order to comply with the 2030 agenda; sustainability continues to be a challenge for the majority of the Spanish business sector”.

Madrid, August 1st, 2023. The increase in technological innovations is affecting all industries, especially logistics and the supply chain, as it is a sector in which intensive use is made of manual processes, as well as large databases. In this sense, the main trends and innovations that it will experience in the coming years will be driven by an increasingly evident reality: artificial intelligence. According to forecasts by Proequity, a leading consultancy firm in real estate operations, investment in innovations such as this technology will be on the rise in the coming years, favoured by the increased level of competition in the market.

However, constant innovation and new technologies also pose a major challenge for the players in the sector, who must continually adapt to these developments in order to remain competitive. In this context, Proequity's team of experts points to the need for any company dedicated to logistics activity to review in depth its entire strategy around the need to explore and evaluate how Artificial Intelligence, advanced data analytics and other tools can impact and improve its processes and business model.

Continuing with opportunities for development and innovation within the sector, the consultancy firm highlights the sustainability of logistics warehouses as another competitive advantage that is positioning itself more and more quickly in the sector, with it being increasingly common for logistics warehouses to have certifications such as LEED or the BREEAM seal. Thus, the inclusion of sustainability criteria throughout the value chain is increasingly relevant, being present in the materials used for the construction of logistics warehouses, as well as in the possibility of offsetting CO2 emissions with the installation of photovoltaic panels on roofs, among others. In this way, the logistics sector has the opportunity to contribute to the transition towards a decarbonised economy and a more sustainable world, supporting society in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In this sense, the CEO of Proequity, David Martínez, explains that “there is a great deal of work ahead, both from the public and private sectors, in order to comply with the 2030 agenda; sustainability continues to be a challenge for the majority of the Spanish business sector”.

At this point, taking into account the interest on the part of companies in prioritising sustainability and innovation in new projects for the construction of logistics warehouses, it is the turn of the public-private partnership to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the supply chain. “In most companies, there is a lack of strategy, clear objectives, processes and standards, data and tools, sensitivity, as well as leadership to achieve the desired sustainability”, says Martínez.

Technology applied to logistics: from challenge to transformation

Logistics automation is shaping the future of the industry, driving innovation to meet today's challenges. The growing popularity of e-commerce has put distribution and transport companies under pressure, forcing them to implement automation technologies to help them meet demand by increasing efficiency, streamlining operations and improving workplace safety. In this way, according to Proequity, technologies such as autonomous guided vehicles, pick-and-place robots, automated logistics and quality control software, and computerised warehousing and retrieval systems will come to the fore.

In this way “as a service” technologies are a newly emerging innovative element that makes automating processes in the logistics sector much easier and does not require a large investment by the owners.

“The flexibility of the automation solution is very important, not only in the increase of capacity, but also in the handling of processes and how the quality of work is guaranteed within the operation process”, says David Martínez, CEO of Proequity.