Lufthansa Cargo, RocketSpace embrace tech startup advancement

In a bid to give the air cargo industry a much needed shove into the 21st century, Lufthansa Cargo has teamed up with San Francisco-based business incubator firm RocketSpace to take part in the “Logistics Tech Accelerator” program. Launched in 2011 by RocketSpace, the program helps foster innovative technology startups in the airfreight logistics sector.

The Logistics Tech Accelerator receives input from multiple corporate participants, including founding corporate member Kaleido. RocketSpace had already been working with Lufthansa’s Berlin-based Innovation Hub, but this agreement marks the first time an air cargo division has taken part in the accelerator.

“We are not only fully supporting innovation and digitization in our own company, we want to drive our industry forward as a whole,” said Monika Wiederhold, vice president of product management and innovation at Lufthansa Cargo. “We see great potential for increased digitization and services in the entire air cargo supply chain. We are keen to explore new ways together with young, highly-qualified experts from the start-up scene.”

As a new participant in the program, Lufthansa Cargo will help educate startups on the business objectives of the airfreight industry, Wiederhold said, using Lufthansa’s eServices as an example. The ultimate goal will be to cooperate with the most promising new companies, incubate ideas for pilot programs and eventually develop “go-to-market solutions,” she added.

“The Logistics Tech Accelerator will not only create cross-industry collaboration, but also create a center of innovation excellence to empower participants to accelerate with purpose and achieve measurable results,” explained Duncan Logan, founder and CEO of RocketSpace.

Any logistics-related startups that wish to join the accelerator can apply to the program through May 12. For more information, To learn more about the program, visit the Logistics Tech Accelerator page.