(Ismaning / Dortmund, April 12, 2024) The fourth edition of TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS has come to an end with numerous highlights. In total, more than 1,200 participants came to the fully booked test hall at Messe Dortmund by Thursday evening to test a selection of the best innovations and new developments in intralogistics. Including the finalists of the International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) AWARD 2024, test sets with more than 100 innovations were set up on around 10,000 square meters. B2B visitors once again had a wide range of products and solutions for their intralogistics at their disposal: from forklift trucks and automated warehouse trucks to mobile robots, logistics software and state-of-the-art specials.

The organizers recorded strong demand for places on the eight guided highlight tours, in which exhibitors presented their innovations in three-minute presentations. One of the special features of this event format is that B2B visitors are taken on highlight tours to all exhibitors. Suppliers of intralogistics solutions are increasingly using the focused event format to demonstrate their innovations to invited guests from contract logistics, industry and retail. Numerous delegations from Germany and neighboring countries such as the Netherlands and the Czech Republic were also present.

The new special test area "Mobile Robotics" with the associated "Mobile Robotics Conference" proved to be a magnet for visitors. Participants were particularly interested in best-practice examples from companies such as Dresselhaus and DB Schenker as well as the forecasts presented by renowned scientists from Fraunhofer IML, the University of Stuttgart and ETH Zurich.

In addition to the now fourth stress test of the VDA5050 communication interface in the VDMA's AGV Mesh-Up, visitors were also very interested in the premiere of NAiSE's "5G MIPS Challenge". In a test set, the technology company and various partners demonstrated the collaboration between people and robots from different manufacturers without safety fences and showed where the journey of automation in logistics and production supply is heading.

At the fourth edition of the TEST CAMPS, visitors once again had the opportunity to test the finalists of the global IFOY AWARD. They included new developments from AGILOX, Crown, GLOBE Fuel Cell Systems, HWArobotics, Innok Robotics, Jungheinrich, MEYSENS, RAVAS, SAFELOG, SSI SCHÄFER and STILL. Test setups from BOX ID Systems, Brightpick, CYBRID and MOCCI were built for the "IFOY Start-up of the Year" spin-off award.

Guest event: IFOY TEST DAYS

A total of 16 devices and solutions from 15 manufacturers underwent the three-stage IFOY audit on site, consisting of driving and functional tests, including the IFOY test protocol comprising 80 criteria, the scientific IFOY Innovation Check and the assessment by the 26 jurors - trade journalists from all continents.

After passing the IFOY audit, the representatives of 15 manufacturers got the "Best in Intralogistics" certificates for their nominees from Jan Drömer, the new Chairperson of the Board of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association. The new head of the Institute for Material Flow Systems at the Fraunhofer IML in Dortmund, Prof. Dr. Alice Kirchheim, made her first public appearance at the TEST CAMP opening.

The winner of an IFOY AWARD 2024 will remain a secret until the award ceremony. The jury's vote will only be announced by the laudators during the IFOY AWARD Night. It will take place on June 14, 2024 at the Congress Center Baden near Vienna.

Hot discussions at the congress

The accompanying congress focused on current trend topics such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, resilience, sustainability and process cost reduction. Visitors gained food for thought in the 18 sessions and panel discussions with 32 top-class experts from Europe, the USA and China. Thematically, the sequences revolved around special topics such as automation, hydrogen, start-ups and mobile robotics. Providers of intralogistics solutions, their users and renowned researchers engaged in intensive discussions, making the event an industry highlight of the year.

Visitors also engaged in discussions with the IFOY AWARD scientists, testers and jurors who were involved in the IFOY TEST DAYS (April 8-10). For the first time, the organizers offered an excursion as part of the event: Two groups of visitors toured the automation at online giant Amazon's DTM2 logistics center in Dortmund.