Multimodal 2025 opened its doors today at the NEC, ushering in a new era of innovation for the UK logistics sector.
Now in its 18th year, the event has cemented its reputation as the industry's leading platform for digital transformation, spotlighting breakthrough technologies such as AI-driven warehouse automation, autonomous vehicle fleets, and sustainable transport systems.
With more than 275 exhibitors and nearly 100 speakers across 71 conference sessions, this year’s Multimodal is the largest and most ambitious to date.
The three-day event brings together stakeholders from every corner of the supply chain, making it the most comprehensive gathering of logistics expertise the UK has ever seen.
The opening keynote panel, “Unlocking the UK Connectivity Puzzle,” featured leading voices including Gary Jeffreys, Managing Director of Maersk, who underlined the growing appetite among customers to partner on carbon-reduction strategies.
“Over the last two years, customers are ramping up interest in working with us as partners to reduce their emissions,” said Jeffreys. “There’s more opportunity in the UK – it’s small enough to be innovative.”
Tim Morris, Group Head of Corporate Communications at Associated British Ports, pointed to structural hurdles:
“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.”
Another major theme of the day was geopolitical trade shifts. Nicolas Collart of Customs Support Group explored the implications of potential U.S. policy changes under Donald Trump, including tariffs and near-shoring:
“At the heart of the trade war – companies are looking at options. The UK was the first to strike a deal with the US. There is a new sense of urgency for negotiations and ratifying trade agreements.”
The transformative power of AI took centre stage in the session “How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Multimodal Logistics,” chaired by Samantha Brocklehurst of Maersk. Industry leaders showcased real-world applications already reshaping logistics workflows.
Dawn Rasmussen, CEO of Problems Solved, said: “In the short term we’ve already seen the industry begin to adopt automation of bookings and quotations. 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, described AI as an industry translator: “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.”
Adnan Zaheer, CEO of iCustoms, stressed efficiency gains: “The immediate opportunity is about time and cost savings. Tasks which used to take a lot of manpower can now be significantly reduced.”
Phil Roe, President of Logistics UK, launched fresh research in a session focused on the UK’s evolving trade landscape, warning of structural decline:
“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.”
Top players from across the sector—Maersk, Malcolm Logistics, DP World, Maritime Transport, MSC, Peel Ports, CMA CGM, Freightliner, Kuehne+Nagel, Hapag-Lloyd, ASM, Ocean Network Express, DHL, and CEVA—dominated the day’s panels with insights on AI, infrastructure, global trade, and environmental resilience.
Event Director Robert Jervis commented: “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.”