The hub leverages IoT and AI to provide real-time insights that improve supply-chain transparency for IFCO’s global customers. With a dedicated and growing team, it focuses on optimizing crate management, reducing costs, and minimizing environmental impact.
Barcelona, Spain, November 18, 2024: IFCO, a global leader in reusable packaging solutions for fresh food, has opened its new digital hub in Barcelona. This new entity strengthens IFCO’s ability to deliver real-time tracking and data-driven insights to its customers around the world, advancing transparency, efficiency, and sustainability across the supply chain.
The Barcelona hub, located in Tech Barcelona’s Pier01, is central to IFCO’s commitment to digital innovation, focused on establishing a Center of Excellence in data analytics and Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
By integrating advanced technologies into its reusable packaging containers (RPCs), IFCO provides 24/7 location and status updates, enabling customers to optimize crate utilization, reduce environmental impact, and streamline logistics.
The hub’s initiatives include:
Projects aim to streamline the transportation and washing of RPCs. IoT technology tracks crate movement and usage, improving cycle efficiency.
Temperature-tracking sensors offer compliance and traceability for perishable food, ensuring quality for temperature-sensitive goods.
AI-powered analytics help businesses optimize supply chain performance, reduce losses, improve efficiency, and meet operational goals.
Enhanced tracking capabilities support customers’ sustainability objectives by reducing food waste and maximizing packaging reuse.
"Opening our new hub in Barcelona is a strategic investment that underscores IFCO’s commitment to delivering exceptional value to our customers. By partnering with Tech Barcelona, we’re tapping into one of Europe’s leading tech innovation hubs, empowering us to further our mission of sustainable solutions on a global scale," said Mike Pooley, IFCO CEO.
“Our new digital hub marks a pivotal advancement in our digital journey, enhancing our technological capabilities to drive meaningful improvements in our services. Building this expertise in-house enables us to innovate continuously, while Tech Barcelona’s dynamic ecosystem aligns perfectly with our vision of a tech-driven future for sustainable supply chain solutions”
The new office is located at Pier01 in Tech Barcelona, the heart of Barcelona’s thriving tech ecosystem. Offering a talent-rich environment, the digital hub is building a strong in-house team of data engineers, data scientists, analysts, and software developers. Currently staffed by 15 employees, the Barcelona office is on track to expand to around 50 over the next year. This approach retains valuable knowledge within the company, reinforcing IFCO’s role as a tech leader in the circular economy.
Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, stated, "The opening of IFCO’s new digital hub at Pier01 reinforces Barcelona’s role as a leader in circular economy technology. Tech Barcelona will remain a gateway for international companies seeking to make a global impact from our city."
Tech Barcelona is a non-profit tech association that represents over 1,400 members and 90 corporate partners, making it the largest of its kind in Southern Europe. Since 2013, the association has established itself as the backbone of the ecosystem, with a program of content, activities and spaces aimed at promoting the growth of the digital and tech sector, in a context of international projection and taking care of the impact of technology on society.
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