Outlook 2026: Innovation, trust, and transformation in motion outlook
by Körber Supply Chain
2025 was the year of innovation, and for Körber Supply Chain, that innovation went beyond technology. It was also about our people, purpose, and progress – driven by the evolving needs and unwavering trust of our customers.
Across industries, businesses increasingly sought flexible, modular, and scalable systems -solutions that could evolve with changing market realities, overcome labor shortages, and deliver efficiency in a volatile global environment. This shift reaffirmed our belief that innovation is not just about advancement, but about earning and sustaining customer confidence through reliability and results.
Our response to this momentum was reflected in initiatives such as AI-based single-item picking developed with Sereact, and the ErgoUnload system, which redefines parcel handling by combining efficiency, ergonomics, and performance. These solutions exemplify how Körber continues to address the industry’s most pressing challenges from workforce constraints to time and cost pressures through intelligent and adaptive automation.
Beyond technology: The power of collaboration
Across regions and sectors, we expanded our footprint and delivered transformative projects built on one principle, customer success.
Throughout the year, our teams worked more closely than ever before. Engineers, software specialists, project managers, and service experts collaborated seamlessly to deliver complex projects on time and at scale. This interdisciplinary teamwork became one of our defining strengths, enabling us to deliver results even in challenging market conditions. A standout example was a Cold Chain automation project on the island of Cebu in Philippines and Vietnam, where our ASRS solution enhanced warehouse efficiency by accelerating delivery cycles, optimizing space utilization, and ensuring reliable temperature control for sensitive goods.
Sector growth and regional dynamics
While the 3PL sector remained a major growth driver, other industries also accelerated automation. In pharmaceuticals, rising demand for cold chain logistics – driven by diabetes and obesity treatments, spurred investment in precise, compliant systems, while FMCG and manufacturing focused on optimizing inventory and operational efficiency. Across sectors, modular, scalable systems and intelligent software integration became vital to boosting throughput and reducing manual dependency. In the 3PL space, capex-light automation and mobile robotics including AMRs and Goods-to-Person solutions emerged as key technologies driving agility in operations.
In Southeast Asia, growth remained steady though measured. Warehousing and manufacturing hubs in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand continued to integrate automation strategically, balancing operational efficiency with long-term cost control. This regional momentum reflects the broader trend of manufacturing diversification and nearshoring, positioning Southeast Asia as a critical node in the evolving global supply chain landscape.
Sustainability: Not an add-on, a mindset
As automation advances, sustainability has become inseparable from innovation and remains a core pillar of Körber’s long-term strategic vision. It’s not only a global responsibility but also a source of tangible value helping customers lower operational costs through smarter and optimized resource use. By embedding sustainability into every solution, Körber ensures that progress and responsibility move forward together, driving both environmental and business performance.
In 2025, we made measurable progress: lowering operational costs, introducing energy-regenerative stacker cranes, optimizing conveyor drives, and deploying control systems that reduce power consumption. Equally important, our people continued to champion sustainability in their daily work, embracing digitalization, paperless processes, and conscious resource management. Across the industry, sustainability has evolved beyond energy efficiency, with warehouses increasingly adopting renewable-powered infrastructure, circular system design, and data-driven energy monitoring to support carbon-neutral operations and transparent ESG performance.
Technology and the road ahead
The automation landscape is shifting from efficiency to intelligence. The coming years will bring deeper integration between robotics, data analytics, and AI-driven control systems. Warehouses are evolving into connected ecosystems where data flows seamlessly from individual components to Warehouse Control Systems (WCS), Warehouse Execution Systems (WES), and enterprise ERP platforms. This connectivity enables real-time insights, predictive maintenance, and smarter inventory control, helping businesses operate with greater agility and foresight.
Looking ahead to 2026, the warehouse automation industry is set to maintain strong momentum. For Körber, the focus will be on strengthening our position in automation and parcel logistics – shaping the future of global supply chains through intelligent, connected, and sustainable solutions, powered by the trust of our customers, partners, and people, and guided by a shared commitment to lasting impact.
Because for Körber, the goal isn’t just to automate – it’s to make the world work better, together.
Connect with our experts at info.sc.sgp@koerber-supplychain.com or visit www.koerber-supplychain.com to explore our solutions.
About the Author
Simon Tan is the Managing Director, Körber Supply Chain, Singapore & Malaysia
