Artificial Intelligence (AI) is helping to make cold chain logistics smarter and more efficient throughout the value chain. Optimisation begins with accurate demand forecasting. A study conducted by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in partnership with Americold, the world’s second-largest refrigerated logistics service provider, achieved a mean absolute percentage error of just 5%, significantly improving the precision of demand. In warehouses, AI-driven management systems are optimising inventory, employee allocation, and energy consumption in real time. Companies using AI-controlled warehouse management systems report productivity gains of 30–40%, while blockchain ensures full traceability and compliance. A Florida (USA) company reports that the use of AI-based cluster formation of picking orders has reduced the path times in a cooling store by 47%, with cooling costs dropping by 22% using intelligent, load- dependent compressor control. AI is well established for route planning and optimisation. Algorithms analyse live data from various sources, including GPS, traffic reports, and weather forecasts, to dynamically adjust routes. Ongoing technological advances raise the question of when or if cold chain logistics will be able to go on “autopilot”. Konrad Wolfenstein of Xpert Digital believes that the future of cold chain logistics lies in a fully autonomous and highly intelligent infrastructure. ER
