Global transport and logistics operators are navigating a highly complex and rapidly changing environment, where legacy systems designed for basic functions are giving way to technologies that drive comprehensive transformation. From seaport management and air freight to railway expansion and warehouse automation, a new digital backbone is being installed across the supply chain. A key architect in this modernization is Huawei, which is deploying a combination of intelligent sensing technologies, powerful cloud platforms, and artificial intelligence to redefine operational efficiency, enhance safety, and help businesses conquer persistent challenges related to cost and performance.
This evolution is anchored by the company’s SMART Logistics & Warehousing Solution, an integrated suite of technologies designed to streamline the entire supply chain workflow from end to end. The system’s core “1+N” framework, featuring a single smart operations cloud connected to numerous intelligent logistics parks and yards, provides a foundation for comprehensive digital services. By tackling critical issues such as high operational expenses, fragmented data coordination, and the underutilization of AI resources, the platform is turning the theoretical concepts of “Mobility as a Service” and “Logistics as a Service” into a practical reality, unlocking what company officials call the full potential of digital intelligence for corporate logistics departments and supply chain operators worldwide.
A Framework for Intelligent Operations
The foundation of Huawei’s strategy is its “1+N” framework, a model designed for scalability and comprehensive control. The “1” represents a unified, cloud-based smart operations platform that serves as the central brain for all logistics activities. This central hub connects with the “N,” which signifies the numerous nodes in the supply chain, including logistics parks, container yards, warehouses, and transport fleets. This structure enables a holistic, end-to-end digital service that breaks down data silos and fosters intelligent coordination across previously disconnected domains.
To address the practical challenges faced by logistics companies, this framework delivers five fundamental capabilities:
- Platform-based services: It offers a unified digital platform that integrates various applications and services, providing a single source of truth for all stakeholders.
- Digital operations management: This allows for the real-time monitoring and management of all logistics processes, improving visibility and control.
- Intelligent resource allocation: AI algorithms analyze data to optimize the use of vehicles, equipment, and personnel, reducing waste and improving efficiency.
- Automated cargo relocation: The system facilitates the use of intelligent machines and robotics for automated handling and movement of goods within warehouses and yards.
- Fully unattended transportation: It lays the groundwork for autonomous vehicles and drones, moving toward a future of fully automated logistics chains.
Core Technologies Driving Automation
The operational capabilities of the smart logistics solution are powered by a sophisticated suite of underlying technologies. These tools are designed to automate complex processes, accelerate decision-making, and secure data sharing across the entire supply chain. By fitting the right technologies to increasingly diversified scenarios, the company aims to optimize the flow of not just passengers and freight, but also business intelligence, revenue, and critical information.
Intelligent Document and Data Processing
A significant bottleneck in traditional logistics is the manual processing of vast amounts of paperwork, from bills of lading to customs forms. To solve this, Huawei has developed the Wukong intelligent recognition model. This AI-powered tool accelerates document processing by automatically recognizing and extracting relevant information, reducing errors and freeing up human resources for more complex tasks. Furthermore, the platform incorporates a trustable data space, ensuring that sensitive information is shared securely between partners, which is crucial for building integrated and collaborative supply chains.
AI-Powered Planning and Robotics
At the heart of the system’s planning capabilities is an advanced AI-powered scheduling engine. This engine analyzes countless variables, including traffic conditions, vehicle availability, cargo priority, and delivery windows, to create optimal schedules and routes. It enables smart planning and dynamic adjustments in real time, responding instantly to disruptions. In the physical realm, warehouse yards and logistics parks are gaining enhanced automation through the deployment of intelligent machines. These robots and automated guided vehicles handle tasks like sorting, stacking, and relocating cargo, leading to faster turnaround times and improved safety in complex operational environments.
Global Impact Across Transport Domains
The adoption of these technologies is not theoretical; it is happening at a massive scale across the global infrastructure network. Huawei’s solutions are already facilitating operations at more than 100 ports and over 200 logistics and warehousing businesses. The technology also underpins more than 300 urban rail lines in 70 cities, 180,000 kilometers of railways, 200,000 kilometers of road networks, and over 210 airlines and air traffic control organizations. This widespread implementation demonstrates a clear industry trend toward integrated, smart technologies that merge physical infrastructure with a responsive digital service layer.
Air and Rail Logistics Transformation
In the air cargo sector, SF Technology is leveraging these advancements for its air logistics platform, which was built out of China’s first dedicated cargo airport. The platform processes terabytes of data with millisecond response times and has successfully handled 1.9 million tonnes of cargo with zero switching errors. According to Guo Shuangqing, Assistant CMO of SF Technology, the partnership with Huawei will help expand capabilities in coordinating multiple airports, which is expected to create a substantial increase in efficiency across the entire air logistics sector. In rail, leaders like Kumpol Boonchom, Deputy Chief of the State Railway of Thailand, see the Thailand-China Railway as a major opportunity to advance the region’s strategic logistics capability and establish Thailand as a key transport hub in Southeast Asia.
Advancing Maritime and Port Operations
At sea, ports are evolving from simple operators into comprehensive supply chain service providers. Yang Bin, Chairman of Shandong Port Technology Group, highlighted his company’s transformation, supported by what he describes as a digital foundation of “one network, one cloud, and one security system.” This integrated system, deployed across a 3,345-kilometer coastline, enhances data center reliability, facilitates seamless cloud platform operations, and ensures high systems stability. The goal, as Yang states, is to achieve “convenient travel and smooth logistics” by creating smart port solutions that fuse physical assets with digital intelligence, providing a more holistic service to global trade partners.