BEIJING, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's epidemic prevention and control work made intelligent logistics as represented by unmanned logistics extensively applied this year.
Recently, multiple authorities have successively released incentive policies to accelerate the construction of new infrastructure, which to some extent creates new investment opportunities for rapid development of intelligent logistics.
Major logistics service providers and e-commerce companies in China have ramped up their operations of intelligent logistics, with 5G unmanned warehouses and unmanned aerial vehicles being launched successively.
Some experts said that as the country strives to push forward the construction of new infrastructure, intelligent logistics systems supported by emerging technologies will become increasingly powerful, and various intelligent logistics facilities may be found under more application scenarios.
An industry insider pointed out that the frequent introduction of policies on new infrastructure has opened up greater space for promoting the development of intelligent logistics this year.
This June, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, and the Ministry of Transport jointly issued opinions on further reducing logistics costs.
The opinions proposed to combine logistics cost reduction and new infrastructure construction, accelerate the construction of integrated infrastructure, and promote the adoption of emerging technologies.
On July 15, 13 government agencies issued a document to support the construction of facilities for autonomous driving, automatic handling and stacking, and unmanned delivery.
On August 6, the Ministry of Transport issued a guidance on promoting the construction of new infrastructure in transport industry, making a series of arrangements on intelligent transportation infrastructure and intelligent logistics.
Many local authorities also supported manufacturers and express delivery companies to accelerate the intellectualization of manufacturing logistics technology and equipment, thus establishing intelligent vehicle infrastructure cooperative system and intelligent logistics platforms.
In addition to favorable policies, an industry insider also pointed out that a circulating intelligent logistics may be expected upon full promotion of new infrastructure, particularly the accelerated application of 5G technologies.
Liu Dacheng, vice president of the Institute of Internet Industry, Tsinghua University, said that as emerging technologies were significantly influencing the transformation of logistics industry, logistics industry moved towards the principle of requiring fewer or no humans.
New infrastructure covers the construction of intercity railways and other transportation infrastructure, which can help improve the transportation convenience of a city, thus reducing the time cost for logistics and increasing the efficiency of logistics, said Pan Helin, a professor at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, adding that in terms of the indirect impacts, intelligent logistics needs to be supported by a host of technologies, the construction of new infrastructure can create a sound environment for these technologies to deliver the required effects, and drive the development of intelligent logistics.
Due to the raft of favorable polices and technology support, logistics service providers and e-commerce companies are accelerating their operations in intelligent logistics amid China's efforts to promote the construction of new infrastructure, according to Liu.
Pan stressed that intelligent logistics offered a new opportunity for investors and has a vast potential for development in the future.
The logistics industry, which has long focused on the consumer market, would gradually turn to the market for factors of production, said Pan, adding that it has become an unmistakable trend for all related companies to increase their investment in intelligent logistics.
(Edited by Yang Yifan with Xinhua Silk Road, yangyifan@xinhua.org)
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