Swisslog, the global leader in robotic, data-driven and flexible automated solutions has announced its participation at Gulfood Manufacturing 2022 – the region’s definitive destination to see the future of food production from advanced technologies to integrated supply chain solutions and breakthrough developments driving the industry forward.
With automation possessing as a viable solution in addressing the many challenges facing the food supply chain, Swisslog Middle East will shed light on the advanced technological solutions that can help companies adapt to changes in production, distribution and retailing as well as evolve the food supply chain with automation. Additionally, Swisslog’s automation experts will help attendees determine the best automation strategy for their vertical farming efforts and identify the automation technologies needed for their operation. Vertical farming industry is estimated to be valued at 3 billion USD currently. With the use of Swisslog’s broad portfolio of automation solutions, companies can achieve enormous flexibility in customizing systems and configurations based on the strategy, growing process, crop type and space availability of the vertical farming operation.
There is no doubt that COVID-19 and the resulting lockdowns had a huge impact on the food & beverage industry. Interact Analysis forecasts a compound annual growth rate of 3.6% between 2019 and 2024 for the Food & Beverage sector. This is even higher than the previous five years, where the industry experienced 3.5% growth over time.
In this challenging environment, success is based on versatility, efficiency, and excellence. It has been evident that manual processes simply cannot deliver the scalability and profitability food manufacturers require to grow their businesses. At the industry event, the team would display a tight ecosystem in which food production, in-store and online sales, and waste recycling are all managed in close proximity efficiently and profitably.
It’s estimated that 30% of the food produced is wasted at various stages of the supply chain and in the homes of consumers. If this trend could be reversed, enough food would be saved to feed 2 billion people or reduce global emissions by 8-10%. In short, food & beverage warehouses need the logistics capability to accurately handle a high number of SKUs in a limited amount of space. With a rise in demand in own brand labels and prepared foods, plus a huge increase in e-grocery, facilities must adapt and provide a variety of outbound order types.
David Dronfield, General Manager, Swisslog Middle East, commented, “Swisslog has a comprehensive portfolio of solutions to meet the needs of the food & beverage industry. From storage shuttles to fully automated mixed case palletising – there is a wide range of technologies available to address the challenges F&B facilities are currently facing. We have worked with some of the world’s leading F&B producers, such as Coca-Cola, Unilever and Pepsi; and has implemented more than 350 projects for food & beverage facilities worldwide across 35 countries. With our participation at Gulfood Manufacturing, we aim to showcase our expertise in this sector and help companies adapt to this change in demand.”
Gulfood Manufacturing is taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 8th to 10th November 2022 and Swisslog representatives will be available at Hall S1, Booth S1-C5.
