Newsletter

October 2025

 

Projects

 
 
 

Smartport Transfer Living Hub

 
"MobiTrans – Concept for a Mobile Transfer Unit (Living Hub)" is the first of two starter projects from the DATIpilot innovation community “Smartport Transfer,” in which the LogDynamics member institutes ISL - Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics and BIBA - Bremer Institut für Produktion und Logistik are participating.
The project is designing a mobile transfer unit (Living Hub) to make knowledge on smart port topics accessible as exhibits, demonstrators, prototypes, and simulations within the smart port community and to external interested parties such as universities and schools.

Contact: Dr. Thomas Landwehr, Dr.-Ing. Michael Lütjen
Details
Image: chartphoto/stock.adobe.com
 
 
 
 

Offshore Renewable Energy Sustainability Alliance (ORESA) started

 
The ORESA project kick-off event took place in The Hague in June 2025, where representatives of all 12 project partners with participation of the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) laid the groundwork for successful work in the project, which runs until June 2028 and is co-funded by the European funding program Interreg North-West Europe.
Sustainability and profitability do not have to be mutually exclusive; combining them nevertheless presents a challenge that the ORESA research project will cover. The project aims to develop an acceleration strategy that addresses these four topics to support innovators in meeting the growing demand for sustainable development.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Nils Meyer-Larsen
Details
Image: ISL
 
 
 
 

Open Source Tool for Secure Charging Planning

 
Existing solutions for automatic load carrier planning do not sufficiently take into account extended constraints such as physical stability, picking sequence, alternative load carriers, maximum load capacity of components, filling material minimization, or volume optimization. Scientific approaches usually only offer mathematical models, but no applicable and freely available software tools. The aim of the BIBA project StackPack (sequence and stability-optimizing algorithm for pallet and load carrier assembly of inhomogeneous goods) is to develop an algorithm that takes practical constraints into account and is made available as an open-source library. A prototype demonstrates the application with user-defined load carriers and objects by outputting stable stacking patterns, filling parts, and securing measures.

Contact: Laura Mittelsdorf
Details
Image: Nils Hendrik Hoppe
 
 
 
 

­ Smartphone App with AI Image Analysis for Goods Receipt

 
In many SMEs, goods receipt inspection is often still carried out manually, which is error-prone and time-consuming. In the ‘Pakur’ research project from BIBA, a (partially) automated solution was developed that uses neural networks to recognize and count packages on palletized goods using image analysis. A smartphone app helps employees speed up goods receipt and inventory and minimize errors. The data collected can be transferred directly to merchandise management systems. The open-source software library and demo app developed enable SMEs to easily use modern image processing without high costs.

Contact: Nicolas Jathe
Details
Image: littlewolf1989/stock.adobe.com
 
 

 

Awards

 

Dissertation Award for Alexander Lindermayr

 
Alexander Lindermayr has received the 2025 Dissertation Award of the German Operations Research Society (GOR) for his thesis “Unrelated Machine Scheduling in Different Information Models”. The award was presented at the GOR annual meeting in September in Bielefeld. His work makes important mathematical contributions to scheduling under uncertainty by developing algorithms for offline and online settings as well as robust methods based on machine-learned predictions. Dr. Lindermayr completed his PhD in the Combinatorial Optimization and Logistics group at the University of Bremen (Prof. Nicole Megow) and is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing, UC Berkeley.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Nicole Megow
Details
Image: GOR
 
 
 
 

Commended Paper Award for BIBA Researchers at IFAC MIM 2025

 
BIBA researchers Abdullah Al Noman, Anton Zitnikov, Firoj Ahmmed Patwary, Aaron Heuermann, and Klaus-Dieter Thoben received the Commended Paper Award at the 11th IFAC International Conference on Manufacturing Modeling, Management, and Control (IFAC MIM 2025), held from June 30 to July 3 in Trondheim, Norway. The awarded paper entitled "Explaining Manufacturing Anomalies: Transformer-Based Detection with xAI for Imbalanced Process Data" addresses a pressing challenge in modern manufacturing environments - detecting and understanding anomalies in complex, imbalanced process data.
 
Contact: Abdullah Al Noman
Details
Image: Abdullah Al Noman
 
 
 

Green Focus Award 2025: Nomination from BIBA

 
Thimo Schindler from BIBA - Bremer Institut für Produktion und Logistik has been nominated for the Green Focus Award 2025 at ENVOCONNECT 2025, which recognizes commitment to sustainable development in ports and logistics. Thimo Schindler's research focuses on digitalization and energy efficiency in port logistics.

Contact: Thimo Schindler
Details, Video
Image: bremenports
 
 

 

International

 

ISL Becomes a Member of ALICE ­

 
The ISL is a new member of the European Technology Platform ALICE (Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe). ALICE was launched by the European Commission to promote research, innovation, and knowledge exchange in the field of logistics. The aim is to make logistics in Europe more efficient, sustainable, and connected. ALICE has over 150 members, including stakeholders from industry, research, the public sector, and civil society.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Nils Meyer-Larsen
Details
Image: ALICE
 
 
 

­Cooperation Visit from Brazil Focusing on Dynamic Production Planning

From September 8 to 12, 2025, we welcomed Prof. Dr. Enzo Morosini Frazzon (UFSC) and Prof. Carlos Eduardo Pereira (UFRGS) for a research stay in the Prophecy project – prognostic model selection for predictive maintenance and reinforcement learning-based production planning in dynamic manufacturing systems. The focus was on project progress, research exchange between Brazil and Germany, joint publications, and the next steps in the project. The project is part of the Collaborative Research Initiative on Smart Connected Manufacturing (CRI-SCMfg) and is funded by the DFG and CAPES.

Contact: Ricardo Caballero
Details
Image: Simon Leohold
 
 

 

Personnel News

 

Rainer Malaka is the new Dean of FB3

 
Prof. Dr. Rainer Malaka has been elected the new Dean of Faculty 3 - Mathematics and Computer Science in mid-June. Together with Prof. Peter Maaß and other members of the dean's board, the newly elected dean's team is now responsible for the management of the department, the implementation of council resolutions and the representation of the department within the university and beyond.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Rainer Malaka
Details
Image: Universitty of Bremen
 
 


Events

 

AI for Ports at BVL Supply Chain CX 2025

 
October 22 - 24, 2025, Berlin
 
LogDynamics will be exhibiting at BVL Supply Chain CX in Berlin from October 22 to 24, 2025. CX is the networking event for logistics and supply chain management. We will be focusing on digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence in logistics and ports.
Visit us at booth C/02 and learn how you can use AI in logistics to boost your competitiveness. See our model of an innovative AI-based assistance system for supporting ship docking maneuvers in ports. This digital replica of a real test field in Bremerhaven was developed as part of the Port2Connect project.

Contact: Aleksandra Himstedt 
Details and Registration
Image: Aleksandra Himstedt
 
 
 
 

International Conference on Dynamics in Logistics (LDIC 2026)

 
February 25 - 27, 2026, Bremen
 
The 10th International Conference on Dynamics in Logistics (LDIC 2026) will take place from February 25 to 27, 2026, at the University of Bremen. The dynamics of logistics processes and networks are the focus of this conference series established by the LogDynamics research network.
The conference is aimed at scientists from the fields of logistics, operations research, engineering, and computer science. It aims to bring together research and practice on the topic of “dynamics in logistics.” The call for abstracts for presentations is open until December 1, 2025.

Contact: Prof. Matthias Klumpp, Prof. Nicole Megow, Prof. Daniel Schmand
Conference webseite, Call for Papers
Image: Aleksandra Himstedt
 
 
 
 

World-leading AI Conference to be held in Bremen in August 2026

 
August 15 - 21, 2026, Bremen
 
At the close of this year’s International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI), held from August 11–17, 2025 in Montreal, Canada, and August 29–31, 2025 in Guangzhou, China, the announcement was made: The next edition of the conference – IJCAI-ECAI 2026 – will take place in Bremen from August 15 to 21, 2026.
IJCAI, one of the world’s oldest conferences on artificial intelligence (AI), will be held next year in conjunction with the European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI). The IJCAI-ECAI is a high-level academic conference where international researchers and industry representatives come together to discuss the latest breakthroughs in cutting-edge AI research.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Frank Kirchner 
Details
Image: DFKI
 
 

 

Retrospect

 
 
 

Energy-Flexible Production from BIBA Impresses at Maritime Week

 
On September 20 and 21, 2025, BIBA's Interdisciplinary Energy Research Group presented a demonstrator for energy-flexible production at the Research Mile on the Schlachte. The response was overwhelming - everyone was interested in how energy efficiency in production processes could be improved using the BIBA demo factory as an example. Many visitors took the opportunity to design and try out processes themselves. The result of energy-flexible production were sweets, which was particularly popular with the younger visitors. The rector of the University of Bremen, Prof. Jutta Günther, also paid BIBA a visit and got a personal impression.

Contact: Jonas Hörnschemeyer 
Details
Image: Aleksandra Himstedt
 
 
 
 

Sustainability in Logistics: LogDynamics and ISL at ENVOCONNECT

 
On September 3 and 4, 2025, LogDynamics and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) were represented with their own booths at ENVOCONNECT in Bremen. Both teams presented concepts for a more sustainable port and logistics industry – from resource conservation and efficiency improvement to sustainable energy sources, smart port solutions, and digitalization. The event provided plenty of inspiration for green ports and sustainable logistics, as well as intensive technical discussions. The approaches presented provide concrete starting points for follow-up projects and practical implementation.

Contact: Aleksandra Himstedt, Prof. Dr. Nils Meyer-Larsen
Details (LogDynamics). details (ISL)
Image: Aleksandra Himstedt
­
 
 
 
 

ISL Participates in SAiL Bremerhaven 2025

 
Viewing ships, going on board, meeting sailors – SAiL, taking place from August 13 to 17, 2025, in Bremerhaven, is the ultimate experience for anyone who wants to get up close and personal with shipping and its people. With over 250 ships, from small boats to impressive tall ships, this year's SAiL 2025 was a maritime experience in a class of its own – a must for anyone who loves the sea and its history.
Experience science with a sea view: During SAiL, the science mile of the “Pier of Science Bremerhaven” network invited visitors to discover science, explore and ask questions. The ISL was also there and presented its current research topics.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Nils Meyer-Larsen
Details
Image: ISL
 
 
 
 

ICALP 2025 and Satellite Workshop in Aarhus

 
The International Colloquium on Automata, Languages and Programming (ICALP) is the main conference and annual meeting of the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science (EATCS). ICALP 2025 took place in July in Aarhus, Denmark. Within this framework, Prof. Nicole Megow co-organized a workshop on “Theory and Applications of Algorithms with Predictions.” Nearly 50 international guests discussed current research trends on the integration of machine predictions into algorithms while maintaining quality guarantees.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Nicole Megow
Details
Image: Aarhus University
 
 
 
 

­ ISL at the Zero Emission Shipping Symposium 2025

 
On 25 June 2025, key players from the maritime industry gathered in Hamburg for the seventh Zero Emission Shipping Symposium, hosted once again by NOW GmbH in cooperation with the Maritime Platform.
This year’s symposium focused on market initiatives for climate neutrality in maritime transport chains, green shipping corridors, and technological project implementations demonstrating climate-friendly propulsion systems and fuels in commercial, real-world maritime applications. ISL’s Managing Director, Prof Dr Nils Meyer-Larsen, represented ISL at this high-level event.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Nils Meyer-Larsen
Details
Image: Franz Josef – Berlin
 
 
 
 

LogDynamics Discusses Maritime Innovations on Board the Alex II

 
On June 13, 2025, the LogDynamics research cluster was represented at the 4th Industrial Mathematics Forum “Mathematical Impulses for Maritime Systems” in Bremerhaven. The focus was on autonomous underwater vehicles, maritime robotics, route planning, and energy management on board seagoing vessels. These innovative systems offer great potential for the future of shipping and are important research topics for LogDynamics. The networking event on board the Alex II was particularly impressive - an inspiring setting for exchange and new contacts. 

Contact: Prof. Dr. Christof Büskens
Details
Image: Aleksandra Himstedt
 
 
 
 

Digital Test Fields for Tomorrow's Ports – Impressions from the IHATEC Conference

 
As a research institute with a clear vision of the future of maritime infrastructure, BIBA presented its latest research findings at this year's IHATEC / DigiTest / DTW conference at the Federal Ministry of Transport on June 11 and 12, 2025. Together with partners from industry, BIBA is working on innovative solutions for digitalization in ports in projects such as Port2Connect, ROBUST, and AutoLog. Whether intelligent monitoring, precise sensor technology, or open interfaces – the goal is greater transparency, resilience, and future-proofing for Germany's waterways. The conference provided valuable exchanges, new ideas, and exciting discussions.

Contact: Thimo Schindler, Dr.-Ing. Dennis Keiser
Details
Image: Jennifer Dehnbostel
 
 
 
 

­ transport logistic 2025: A Successful Exhibition for ISL ­

 
Four intensive days filled with inspiring exchanges, fresh ideas, and exciting encounters are now behind us. At the beginning of June, the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) took part in transport logistic 2025 in Munich – the world’s leading trade fair for logistics, mobility, IT, and supply chain management.
This year’s event focused on the key themes of artificial intelligence (AI), resilience, and sustainability. It was a great success – both for ISL and for the logistics industry as a whole. With 2,722 exhibitors from 73 countries and over 77,000 visitors from more than 130 nations, the fair achieved new record figures.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Nils Meyer-Larsen
Details
Image: ISL
 
 
 

International Workshop “Scheduling and Fairness” at Schloss Dagstuhl

 
In March 2025, around 50 researchers from across the world gathered at Schloss Dagstuhl, the Leibniz Center for Informatics, for a workshop on “Scheduling and Fairness”. Scheduling is a central research area at the interface of computer science, mathematical optimization, and operations research, with applications ranging from traditional production and project planning to modern challenges in data center resource management and the shared economy. The workshop focused on new concepts and models for fairness in resource allocation and planning. The workshop was organized by Claire Mathieu (EPN Paris), Nicole Megow (University of Bremen), Benjamin Moseley (CMU Pittsburgh), and Frits Spieksma (TU Eindhoven).

Contact: Prof. Dr. Nicole Megow
Details
Image: Schloss Dagstuhl - LZI GMBH
 
 

 

Publications

 
 
 

ISL-Position Paper: Investment Needs for Sustainable Ports ­

 
Ports are central hubs in the international movement of goods and play a key role in energy supply and the transformation to a climate-neutral economy. As part of the energy transition, fossil fuels must be replaced by alternative, climate-friendly imports such as ammonia or methanol. At the same time, requirements are increasing due to the expansion of offshore wind energy and security policy developments.
The current ISL position paper ‘Investment requirements for sustainable ports’ shows what investments are necessary and what strategic importance they have for the energy transition, the economy and resilience.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Burkhard Lemper
Details
Image: ISL
 
 
 
 

Exoskeletons in Logistics - Long-Term Study in Practical Use

 
In BVL Magazine Drei 2025 (page 34), Dr. Christoph Petzoldt and the BIBA team provide insights into their research in the RessourcE project, which investigates the use of exoskeletons in logistics. The focus is on a multi-year long-term study conducted directly in operational practice. The results are being incorporated into the development of practical implementation processes and a software tool for the systematic selection of suitable support technologies – supplemented by exoskeleton-integrated sensor technology for analyzing loads and increasing acceptance. The goal: to relieve people in specific areas where physically demanding tasks cannot yet be automated – for healthier working conditions and greater sustainability in logistics.

Contact: Birte Pupkes
Details
Image: BIBA
 
 

 

Videos

 
 
 

Focus on AI and the Circular Economy: Video Review of Supply Chain Day 2025

 
In a joint event with the Mittelstand-Digital Centers Bremen-Oldenburg and WertNetzWerke, BIBA and LogDynamics invited guests to the BIBA Shop Floor Lab on April 10, 2025, on the occasion of the Supply Chain Day to highlight the latest trends in the industry. With 120 registered participants, the event was a success and this year focused in particular on the two forward-looking topics of artificial intelligence and the circular economy. 
A video review of the event is now available, providing many impressions of the event. Tune in, be inspired, and look forward to the next edition, which will be held on April 16, 2026!

Contact: Aleksandra Himstedt
Details
Image: Jan Meier