With AI and Robotics into the Future of Intralogistics

Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Gräb, the past few years have been marked by economic uncertainties. How has this affected BSS Bohnenberg GmbH?

Martin Gräb: By the end of 2022, the situation became challenging due to inflation and rising interest rates. Bank loans became more expensive, which greatly affected our customers' willingness to invest, particularly in energy-intensive industries such as heavy industry, mechanical engineering, and foundries. Despite this restraint, the need for automation remained unbroken. Our strength is that we offer not only new construction but also retrofit solutions that allow us to modernize existing facilities during operation. This gives us a certain flexibility that has helped us to remain successful.

Wirtschaftsforum: How does your company differentiate itself in intralogistics from other providers?

Martin Gräb: Our advantage lies in our versatility. We build fully automated logistics systems and provide solutions that work across industries. However, our strength is that we can not only construct new facilities but also modernize existing ones – without disrupting ongoing operations. We cover the entire value chain: from idea generation through consulting to turnkey installation. Additional services we offer include maintenance, software management, and spare parts service. An example is our highly automated logistics center for a manufacturer of safety clothing. We work closely with ROFA AG and are part of the logistics system group.

Wirtschaftsforum: How important are sustainability and digitalization in your industry and what innovations are you driving forward?

Martin Gräb: Sustainability has been a core issue for us for over 30 years. All our systems are fully electric and we focus on energy-saving technologies. For example, our pallet conveyor system only moves when a pallet is actually being transported. Combined with modern sensors and automation, we contribute to minimizing energy consumption. Our digitalization solutions include light barriers for electricity measurement and AI used in high-bay warehouses for optimal storage space utilization and process calculation. Robotics is another focus: Our gripping technology enables the automatic pickup of goods. Our pilot project shows how a robot autonomously moves through the warehouse and removes goods from pallets.

Wirtschaftsforum: Which industries do you serve and which projects are particularly noteworthy?

Martin Gräb: Our main customers come from food production and food trade, which are considered particularly resilient. Many of our solutions are used in frozen environments where humans can barely work. A current project is an automatic frozen storage warehouse for a food manufacturer that has integrated sorting functions. The pet food sector is also a growing field, and we see great potential in online trading. Here, we offer solutions for the B2C sector, where small shipments and rapid deliveries are becoming increasingly important.

Wirtschaftsforum: Which international markets do you see as particularly promising, and how do you plan your expansion?

Martin Gräb: We have strategically expanded our activities in Eastern Europe and established a solid base with the founding of BSS CEE in Budapest. Markets such as Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia offer great potential, and we also see Scandinavia as promising. In North America, there are challenges due to high import tariffs, but we are closely monitoring the market. In the medium term, we aim to generate about a quarter of our sales abroad to become more independent from the German market. Trade fairs play a central role. The LogiMat, where we participated for the first time in 2003, is now the leading global trade fair for intralogistics. Additionally, we are regularly present at regional events such as the Bergische Expo.

Wirtschaftsforum: What are your long-term goals for BSS Bohnenberg GmbH and what role do you see for politics in achieving these goals?

Martin Gräb: In the long term, we aim to act as a generalist and respond flexibly to special inquiries. By 2025, we plan to strengthen our foreign locations and improve working conditions for our employees in Germany to attract qualified professionals. A major problem we see in Germany is excessive bureaucracy. Construction law delays permits, which makes investments difficult. We are heavily dependent on the mood in companies and wish for measures that make Germany more attractive for cargo handling, such as lower energy prices and less bureaucracy.