What Distinguishes Us
Logistics has a long-standing tradition in Dortmund. Established in 1972 within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at TU Dortmund University, the Chair of Materials Handling and Warehousing (FLW) is a pioneer of logistics research in Germany and beyond. As one of the first research institutes with an exclusive focus on logistics research, it has consistently combined academic excellence with practice-oriented research topics.
An interdisciplinary team of around 20 researchers is dedicated to the in-depth analysis, design, and further development of warehousing logistics systems, e.g., in the areas of cyber-physical production, automation and robotics systems. At the center of these research efforts is the human being; not as a passive user, but as an active designer of warehousing solutions.
By leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence methods, particularly in the fields of deep learning and computer vision, the team explores new dimensions of interaction and intelligence in warehousing automation. These technologies enable the automated capture, interpretation, and data-driven optimization of complex logistics processes.
Through the close integration of fundamental research, application-oriented development, and industrial collaboration, FLW makes a substantial contribution to the advancement of future-ready logistics solutions, both in the context of industrial production and in urban supply and distribution systems.
FLW is associated with the Material Flow Systems division of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) and is therefore actively involved in a wide range of research projects and strategic initiatives.
With its own research infrastructure, the Innovation Laboratory (InnoLab), FLW contributes its academic expertise in diverse ways and conducts research on the logistics of tomorrow.