Top Trends in Logistics: Cybersecurity, Digitalization, and Cost Pressure
New study highlights the importance of digital, sustainable, and resilient value chains
20.01.2026
Cybersecurity, digitalization of business processes, and cost pressure are the three current top trends in logistics and supply chain management (SCM). This is shown by the new comprehensive study report "Trends and Strategies," produced under the leadership of an expert team from TU Hamburg for the German Logistics Association (BVL).
In the previous edition of the study 2023/24, cybersecurity and digitalization of business processes already held the first two places. In the current study, the factor cost pressure was assessed as significantly more important and ranked third. There was also a marked increase in the topics of automation (4th place, +5 places compared to 2023), business analytics (5th place, +6), and artificial intelligence (12th place, +7).
A total of 202 logistics and SCM managers from the German-speaking region were surveyed. In their opinion, there is still much to be done: companies need to effectively adapt to strategically relevant trends and specifically prioritize their transformation processes. With regard to framework conditions, more support from politics is desired.
“In 2025/26, the ‘Triple Transformation’ of digitalization, sustainability, and resilience remains the central guiding principle for future-proof value chains,” says Professor Wolfgang Kersten (TU Hamburg). “These three pillars form the foundation of long-term competitive and adaptable value chains, yet only a few companies currently achieve top positions in all three areas.”
The BVL’s study series "Trends and Strategies in Logistics and Supply Chain Management" has been regularly providing information on current trends and their assessment by respondents since 1988. It thus offers decision-makers important orientation in the logistics sector. The current study was conducted by the Institute for Logistics and Corporate Management at TU Hamburg with Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Kersten, Dr. Birgit von See, and Sandra Heymann as well as Prof. Dr. Martin Schwemmer from Heilbronn University.
Link to the study:
https://www.bvl-trends.de … cht_202526_final_PDFA.pdf
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