French-based smart cargo monitoring specialist Traxens announced that Danish conglomerate Maersk has become one of its key shareholders, holding a similar stake to the company’s two other main investors, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and CMA CGM.
Maersk is a Danish business conglomerate with activities in the transport, logistics and energy sectors.
As part of the investment deal, Maersk has also committed to expand its fleet of smart containers with up to 50,000 Traxens devices, equivalent in size to previous orders received by Traxens from MSC and CMA CGM.
“Creating visibility into the condition and location of containerized cargo is bringing Maersk’s strategy to offer digital end-to-end solutions to life. Having pioneered IoT-technology in our reefer fleet, we are excited to join Traxens and collaborate on the huge potential within connected containers,” said Ingrid Uppelschoten Snelderwaard, VP and head of equipment for A.P. Moller – Maersk.
“With this investment we look forward to working with key industry players to advance a leading solution within connected products and technologies for high value cargo, while ensuring customer choice through interoperability and open standards.”
“We are delighted to welcome Maersk among our backers alongside CMA CGM and MSC. Having three of the world’s largest shipping companies now supporting us, this will help accelerate our international development and contribute to our solution becoming a global market standard for the entire supply chain,” said Jacques Delort, general manager of Traxens.
Traxens said its smart solution addresses key challenges in the shipping industry faced by both vessel owners and cargo owners. With the combination of telematics and smart data processing, vessel owners can control costs and develop more agile business problem solving, while cargo owners can keep track of their containers, the company said.
The solution also allows customers to reduce operational costs, improve supply chain efficiency and enhance security.
In related news, Traxens said that its
patented cargo tracking IoT system will be used on European logistics service
provider CFL multimodal’s connected freight wagons throughout the European
corridor and the New Silk Road to China.
Traxens and CFL started their cooperation with a pilot
project at the end of 2018, when CFL fitted Traxens Box devices on flat wagons
travelling between European destinations. Following the successful trial,
cooperation was extended earlier this year to over 20 wagons delivering cargo
to more distant European destinations. In April 2019 Traxens’ rail freight
telematics technology was then tested on wagons travelling to China.
“Traxens’ solution provides comprehensive, precise and timely data about cargo by tracking wagons in transit anywhere in the world. Traxens’ technology brings improved efficiency and security, greater transparency and enhanced asset utilization thanks to improved wagons and goods tracking, geolocalization and mileage monitoring,” the company said in a release.
