Multimodal 2025 has been widely hailed as a watershed moment for the UK logistics sector. Over three days at the NEC Birmingham, more than 275 exhibitors and 100 speakers showcased how emerging technologies and global trade shifts are reshaping supply chains. Artificial intelligence, infrastructure challenges, and evolving international trade policy dominated the agenda, reflecting the complexity – and urgency – facing logistics leaders today.

AI proved the headline theme.
Industry figures such as Dawn Rasmussen of Problems Solved and James Coombes CEO of Raft described how machine learning is already revolutionising bookings, quotations, and incident management, while laying the foundations for standardisation across a fragmented industry. For many delegates, AI was no longer viewed as a distant innovation but as an operational tool unlocking immediate efficiency gains.

Connectivity and infrastructure were also firmly in focus.
Maersk’s MD Gary Jeffreys urged greater integration across road, rail, ports, and warehousing to deliver both productivity and decarbonisation, while Associated British Ports’ Tim Morris warned of the UK’s slow and costly infrastructure development. These debates underscored a sector balancing bold technological ambition with persistent structural challenges.

The conversation extended beyond UK borders, too.
With shifting US trade policy, speakers such as Nicolas Collart of Customs Support Group emphasised the need for agility as tariffs, near-shoring, and trade agreements evolve. Logistics UK’s Phil Roe added urgency with new research pointing to productivity losses driven by border frictions and regulatory inefficiencies. As the industry prepares for Multimodal 2026, scheduled for 30 June – 2 July at the NEC, organisers are promising to build on this momentum.

Sustainability, AI adoption, and collaborative innovation are set to take centre stage once more.
If 2025 was the year logistics embraced change, 2026 will be about embedding it into the fabric of daily operations.

multimodal.org.uk

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