DHL Innovation Center presents research award for best satellite-based navigation solutions

• Subject sponsoring for 4th European Satellite Navigation Competition • Wanted: fleet management system for 120,000 vehicles • Best proposal to be developed to market maturity at the DHL Innovation Center Troisdorf, May 23, 2007: The DHL Innovation Center in Troisdorf, Deutsche Post World Net’s central innovation and research institute, is co-sponsor of the „4th European Satellite Navigation Competition 2007.“ As part of the ideas competition supported by the European Space Agency ESA, the DHL Innovation Center presents a special award in the category „Intelligent traffic control systems.“ The best proposal submitted is given the opportunity to be developed to market maturity in the DHL Innovation Center and then used in satellite-based fleet management at the Post group to steer a large share of the Group’s 120,000 vehicles. The proposed solutions submitted in the special category sponsored by the DHL Innovation Center must fulfill two technological requirements: For one, they have to allow for dynamic fleet management of delivery vehicles in response to the current traffic situation. In addition, the solution has to ensure flexible communication between scheduling, the intelligent delivery vehicle and the customer. The idea behind the competition: In metropolitan areas, in particular, Deutsche Post World Net faces the challenge of answering to customers’ demands for just-in-time delivery despite rising traffic density. „We will need powerful IT- and satellite-based navigation to master this challenge in the future,“ explains Michael Lohmeier, project manager in Deutsche Post World Net’s Technology and Innovation Management department. Dynamic route planning also helps avoid empty drives, detours and thus counteracts climate change. Lohmeier expects a large number of submissions: „The incentive of developing a telematics system for one of the world’s largest fleets of vehicles and putting it into practice should be far greater than a monetary prize.“ The DHL Innovation Center will handle the implementation of the award-winning basic technology in cooperation with the originator of the idea. The „European Satellite Navigation Competition 2007“ is geared to European companies, research institutions, universities and private individuals. The competition is organized by Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen and Munich computer fair SYSTEMS and is supported by the European Space Agency ESA, the German Aerospace Center DLR and ten European high-tech regions. The Bavarian Ministry for Economics, Infrastructure, Traffic and Technology is patron of the „European Satellite Navigation Competition 2007.“ Aside from the DHL Innovation Center, DLR and T-Systems also act as subject sponsors and will award prizes in special categories. The ideas competition was launched on May 1, 2007, and will run until July 31, 2007. The award ceremony will be held at the SYSTEMS computer fair in Munich (October 23 - 26, 2007, Neue Messe München). Applications for the competition and for special categories can be made online at www.galileo-masters.com. Kontakt für Journalistenfragen: Deutsche Post World Net Konzernkommunikation – Pressestelle Nicole Mommsen Tel.: +49 (0)228 182 99 28 E-Mail: pressestelle@deutschepost.de