Railfreight transport – Challenges for the year 2050 
A strategy paper presented by the International Union of Railways (UIC), which met in Portorož (Slovenia) in June, bears the ambitious title Challenges 2050. Railfreight transport is prospering and has a very favourable environmental reputation in many countries, but as a mode... more
«Driving dynamic value creation»
Interviews with managing directors frequently touch on subjects such as quarterly figures, staff changes and industry milestones. Day-to-day business rarely leaves much room for the long-term view. Detlef Trefzger, who assumed an operational role as CEO of the K + N group in... more
Avatars to do your online shopping for you
E-commerce is one of the few sectors of the economy that is generating double-digit growth rates even in Europe. What is the way forward for the segment and its logistics needs? A study undertaken by Deutsche Post DHL investigates. Will drones deliver our purchases in future?... more
Rather persistent uncertainty
In her editorial in the first issue of this year my colleague Antje Veregge quoted the Bavarian satirist Karl Valentin, who said that «only one thing’s certain – and that is that nothing is certain.» The current state of the global economy and the logistics industry, which have... more
The boom is yet to come
The onset of the global financial and economic crisis led the maritime industry to increasingly identify growth opportunities in emerging economies from 2008 onwards. However, the euphoria over market conditions in these countries, particularly in the BRIC states, was greater in... more
The ever-changing Saudi landbridge
It was our retired colleague Hansueli Hof, a proven railways expert who is still well-known to many of our readers, who first wrote about the project known as the Saudi landbridge in the ITJ (issue 23-24 / 2004). Even if not all the dreams described have come true, the vision of... more
Tough going in Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s new Chek Lap Kok international airport (HKG) was inaugurated a year and a few days after the transfer of control over the southern Chinese territory of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the People’s Republic of China. A modern... more
What would Malcom have said?
A search of our archives illustrates how history has a habit of repeating itself. As early as 1980 the headlines were full of ships with ever increasing capacities as well as of the expansionist policies of container shipping lines. Now the concept of too big to fail has been on... more
Oil crisis ends shipping boom
The issue of fuel costs has been a recurring theme running through decades of reporting at ITJ. The discussion in the seventies revolved mainly around financial aspects of the issue, but today, in addition to the question of cost, the high-profile issue of protecting the... more
«Brazilian impressions»
The BRIC states continue to be a major subject of discussion and are understood to be important if not crucial drivers of global trade. An ITJ correspondent visited Brazil within the framework of the first transatlantic flight of Varig from Zurich to Rio. Varig had taken over... more