The UK's logistics industry reached a pivotal moment at Multimodal 2025, where over 275 exhibitors and 100 speakers converged to unveil the technological foundations reshaping the nation's £124 billion supply chain infrastructure. From AI-powered warehouse automation to autonomous vehicle fleets, industry leaders used the Birmingham platform to signal a decisive shift toward digital transformation.
The three-day event represents the largest gathering of logistics expertise ever assembled at Multimodal, with 71 conference sessions addressing everything from cross-modal connectivity to sustainable transport innovations.
Key Takeaways
- Multimodal 2025 featured 275+ exhibitors demonstrating AI's practical application across the UK's £124 billion logistics sector
- Industry leaders position AI as a "Rosetta stone" for standardizing operations and reducing manual intervention
- Immediate AI opportunities focus on booking automation, quotation processing, and incident response optimization
- UK logistics performance decline drives urgency for digital transformation despite infrastructure constraints
- Global trade policy changes create additional complexity requiring agile, AI-enabled supply chain management
Infrastructure Challenges Meet AI Solutions
Day one's keynote panel, "Unlocking UK Connectivity Puzzle," revealed both the opportunities and obstacles facing British logistics. Gary Jeffreys, Managing Director of Maersk, highlighted accelerating customer demand for emissions reduction partnerships while acknowledging infrastructure constraints.
"Over the last two years, customers are ramping up interest in working with us as partners to reduce their emissions," Jeffreys explained. "There's more opportunity in the UK—it's small enough to be innovative. Each mode has its challenges—whether it's having enough electricity in the grid or getting the next generation of people."
Tim Morris from Associated British Ports emphasized the systemic nature of these challenges: "Logistics and freight continue to be the poor relation of transport debate. It takes us so long in the UK, and is so expensive, to develop and grow transport infrastructure."
UK Department for Transport data confirms these concerns, showing that logistics infrastructure investment lags behind other European nations by approximately 15% as a percentage of GDP.
AI as the Industry's Rosetta Stone
The session "How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Multimodal Logistics" provided concrete examples of AI implementation across transport modes. Industry leaders moved beyond theoretical discussions to practical applications already delivering measurable results.
Dawn Rasmussen, CEO of Problems Solved, highlighted AI's crisis management capabilities: "Today when there's an incident in logistics, the time it takes people to resolve that situation, AI can do that very, very quickly."
James Coombes, CEO of Raft, positioned AI as a standardization enabler: "We've always seen AI as being a kind of Rosetta stone in our industry. AI is really good at taking human language elements and bringing that back into your standards so you can use it effectively."
This standardization potential aligns with solutions like Trax Technologies' AI Extractor, which normalizes freight documentation across multiple languages and formats with 98% accuracy, enabling seamless data integration across complex supply chains.
Immediate ROI Opportunities Drive Adoption
Adnan Zaheer, CEO of iCustoms, focused on near-term value creation: "The immediate opportunity is about time and cost savings. Tasks which used to take a lot of manpower can now be significantly reduced."
This emphasis on practical implementation reflects broader industry trends. McKinsey research indicates that logistics companies implementing AI solutions achieve average cost reductions of 15% within the first year, primarily through automation of routine tasks and improved decision-making speed.
The automation of bookings and quotations, specifically mentioned by Rasmussen, represents low-hanging fruit that delivers immediate efficiency gains while building foundations for more sophisticated AI applications.
Global Trade Dynamics Reshape UK Strategy
Brexit's long-term implications combined with evolving US trade policy created additional complexity layers. Nicolas Collart from Customs Support Group examined how recent American tariff policies and near-shoring trends affect European operations.
"At the heart of the trade war, companies are looking at options. The UK was the first to strike a deal with the US," Collart noted. "There is a new sense of urgency for negotiations and ratifying trade agreements."
This geopolitical context makes AI-driven logistics optimization increasingly critical. Companies need agile systems capable of rapidly adjusting to changing trade routes, regulatory requirements, and market conditions.
Technologies like Trax's Audit Optimizer demonstrate how AI can manage complex compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions while maintaining operational efficiency.
Performance Decline Drives Innovation Urgency
Phil Roe, President of Logistics UK, presented sobering research findings: "The UK's logistics performance is declining, pulling the UK's productivity down with it. We are held back by border friction, congested infrastructure, skills shortages, outdated regulations and patchworks of urban rules."
This performance decline creates both urgency and opportunity for AI adoption. While infrastructure constraints limit physical expansion, digital transformation offers paths to productivity improvement without massive capital investment.
The challenge becomes implementing AI solutions that address multiple constraints simultaneously—improving efficiency while managing regulatory compliance, reducing costs while maintaining service quality, and optimizing routes while supporting sustainability objectives.
Building Resilience Through Digital Transformation
Event Director Robert Jervis summarized the opening day's strategic themes: "Today's sessions have demonstrated the industry's commitment to practical innovation. From connectivity solutions to AI transformation and understanding global trade impacts, we're seeing forward-thinking approaches that will help businesses build resilience in an increasingly complex environment."
This resilience focus reflects lessons learned from recent supply chain disruptions. Companies are moving beyond reactive crisis management toward proactive, AI-enabled systems that anticipate and mitigate disruptions before they impact operations.