Simplicity over complexity: Autonomous AI control center boosts efficiency for logistics centers

Falkenberg, May 13, 2026 // The logistics industry faces ever-changing challenges due to increasing process density, more complex systems, and a shortage of skilled workers. The continuous growth of e-commerce, rapidly rising delivery volumes with high peak loads, and the demand for ever-shorter delivery times are forcing logistics centers to operate on a multi-shift basis. This is leading to a clearly emerging trend toward highly automated logistics centers that operate around the clock and, ideally, without human intervention. However, the prerequisite for the efficient management of these highly complex facilities is a warehouse control center that competently ensures maximum performance and utilization 24/7.

This is precisely where IGZ comes in with the Smart Logistics Cockpit. The patent-pending autonomous AI control center for logistics centers has now been awarded the German Innovation Award 2026 in Gold—one of Germany’s most prestigious innovation prizes. The expert jury particularly recognized the solution’s high degree of innovation, its sustainable user benefits, and its relevance.

The Smart Logistics Cockpit automates key control center activities through the use of pre-trained AI networks. Core processes—from order allocation and resource planning to the assignment of dock and staging zones—are controlled autonomously. Sensors, such as camera, vibration, and acoustic sensors, continuously record the actual real-time status in the warehouse in compliance with GDPR and compare it with the defined target processes. Based on this, the AI continuously adapts the logistics workflows to changing conditions and seasonal fluctuations.

Similar to the levels of autonomous driving, the Smart Logistics Cockpit currently achieves Level 3 autonomy out of 5—a crucial milestone on the path to fully autonomous logistics. The system controls all core logistics processes independently. Employees only intervene in special processes or strategic matters, interacting with the system via natural language. In practice, this reduces staffing requirements in the control center by up to 70 percent, while simultaneously significantly increasing efficiency, transparency, and process stability.

Compared to the competition, the Smart Logistics Cockpit stands out in particular due to its combination of pre-trained AI networks, autonomous process execution, and sensor-based verification of real-world warehouse situations. While comparable solutions remain limited to pure key figure analysis and supportive recommendations, IGZ thus lays the foundation for truly autonomous control of complex logistics processes.

Johann Zrenner, Managing Director of IGZ, explains:

“With the autonomous AI control center, we’re shifting logistics from reactive control center operations to intelligent, autonomous control. We integrate data, processes, AI, and people into a single system. In the future, employees will be able to focus on strategic objectives, while the AI control center ensures maximum plant efficiency even during multi-shift operations. The German Innovation Award in Gold once again validates our approach and the enormous potential of AI to simplify processes and increase the throughput of logistics centers with lower personnel and hardware investments.”

The German Design Council presents the German Innovation Award annually to recognize products and solutions across all industries that stand out for their innovation, user benefits, and cost-effectiveness.