Automation is the overriding theme in this week's news, and not just because it's the focus of our second LogiMAT 2024 report from Stuttgart.

Many exhibitors at the trade fair noted how fast automation was being taken up globally, with companies seeking solutions to the ongoing shortage of labour and industrial real estate.

More than one industry expert described automation as having a "hockey stick moment", a phrase used to describe a dramatic increase on a chart, like the upward blade of a hockey stick. 

There are some sobering reports this this week's news as well, with injuries and deaths reported from accidents at container terminals and involving container ships.