Paderborn, 5 November 2026 – Lödige Industries has once again been named World Market Leader for air cargo terminals by WirtschaftsWoche in cooperation with the University of St. Gallen. With pioneering automation solutions, in-house software development and comprehensive services, the company has been setting standards in air cargo logistics for decades. Its technologies enable efficient, safe and reliable cargo handling at the world’s largest air cargo hubs. Worldwide, nearly every second tonne of air cargo is handled using Lödige technology.
Growing cargo volumes and volatile market conditions require high-performance air cargo terminals that can adapt flexibly to changing demands. Lödige Industries addresses these challenges with integrated solutions that intelligently combine automated storage and retrieval systems, conveyor technology and software. The company delivers both new installations and complex modernisations of existing terminals while they remain operational. Its integrated systems reduce manual transport movements, optimise processes and provide the flexibility needed to meet future requirements.
The capabilities of these technologies are demonstrated by numerous major international projects. At Istanbul Airport, Turkish Cargo continues to rely on Lödige Industries for the expansion of its SMARTIST air cargo terminal. SMARTIST 2.0 is designed to increase annual handling capacity from two million to 4.5 million tonnes. In Toronto, Lödige Industries modernised the control systems at Air Canada Cargo’s air cargo terminal in 2025, creating a powerful digital infrastructure for future automation initiatives. Through the development of intelligent software solutions, the company is playing a key role in advancing the digitalisation of air cargo handling. Cargo Direct, for example, connects shipment data with available resources in real time to optimise terminal processes and the utilisation of existing capacities.
Lödige Industries supports its customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their systems, from planning and integration to long-term operation. Its international service portfolio includes maintenance, spare parts supply, on-site technical support and remote monitoring. This helps ensure reliable system operation and consistently high performance over the long term.
“We owe this renewed recognition as World Market Leader above all to our customers. Airlines, ground handlers and airports entrust their terminals to us for decades - from planning new facilities to modernising existing ones during live operations. Whether greenfield or brownfield, we tailor every solution to each operator’s processes and goals, and we remain a reliable partner long after commissioning. For us, this award is therefore a sign of reliable partnership with our customers,” says Philippe De Backer, CEO of Lödige Industries.
About the WirtschaftsWoche World Market Leader Award
WirtschaftsWoche is one of Germany’s leading business magazines and is part of the Handelsblatt Media Group. It covers current developments in business and politics, as well as companies, markets and innovations.
The World Market Leader ranking is compiled annually by Prof. Dr. Christoph Müller, Adjunct Professor at the University of St. Gallen. To qualify, a company must rank first or second worldwide in terms of revenue in at least one relevant market segment. Additional criteria include annual revenue of at least €50 million, with at least 50 per cent generated abroad and across three continents. The company’s owners must also be based in Germany, at least in part.
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