GXO Logistics, the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, today announced the launch of GXO Accelerator, an Open Innovation programme designed to identify, test and scale new technologies across the UK and Ireland.
GXO Accelerator marks the next chapter in GXO’s commitment to fostering collaboration between industry and pioneering technology providers. The programme, which brings together the best of GXO’s innovation cultures and expertise, is designed and delivered in collaboration with global innovation specialist L Marks. The program will bring together startups, scale-ups and technology specialists through a structured Open Innovation model to explore practical solutions to some of the sector’s most pressing operational challenges.
“Supply chains are evolving rapidly, and collaboration with innovative technology partners is essential to staying ahead of that change,” said Paul Durkin, Chief Operating Officer, UK & Ireland at GXO. “GXO Accelerator will give innovative technology companies the opportunity to work directly with our teams to tackle real operational challenges and demonstrate the value their solutions can bring to logistics operations today and tomorrow.”
Through the programme, selected companies will participate in a 12-week cohort collaborating with GXO experts in real world logistics settings to implement solutions that have the potential to drive greater efficiency, resilience and sustainability across supply chains.
The programme will focus on four key innovation themes vital to the logistics industry:
- Defence and Infrastructure Logistics: Technologies that strengthen materials control, sequencing, traceability and asset monitoring across multi-site, regulated defence and critical infrastructure supply chains.
Digital Transport: Technologies that improve driver safety, bring execution-led intelligence to transport operations, and enhance visibility and coordination across yards and diverse delivery environments. - Future Workforce: Technologies that make workforce deployment more dynamic and data-led, streamline HR processes with AI, and give managers greater visibility of skills, potential and progression across a large, distributed operation.
- Wild Card / Open Season: Technologies that fall outside the defined categories but have clear potential to create operational value for GXO.
Selected participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with GXO’s operational and technology teams in structured test-learn cycles, gaining access to real world scenarios to refine their solutions, with the potential to scale successful innovations within GXO’s UK&I operations.
Daniel Saunders, CEO at L Marks said: “We’re delighted to be launching GXO Accelerator and to support GXO in bringing together leading technology companies to turn innovation into operational reality. GXO’s scale and reach allow technology companies to pilot their solutions in real logistics environments and work directly with the teams responsible for running them. Having worked alongside Wincanton as its innovation partner since 2017, it’s great to see that foundation evolve into GXO Accelerator and to help take the programme into its next phase.””
GXO Accelerator UK&I reflects GXO’s continued investment in innovation and its commitment to working with the wider technology ecosystem to drive meaningful transformation across the logistics sector. To date, 30 technology businesses had participated in Wincanton’s W2 Labs programme, before it was integrated into GXO, establishing a strong foundation for the GXO Accelerator. Featured technologies included AI powered vehicle damage detection; predictive behaviour forecasting, autonomous mobile robots; continuous labour optimisation-fuelled by machine learning; global asset intelligence and visibility; online recruitment assessment tools; and innovative approaches to utilising spare freight and warehouse capacity.
Technology providers interested in participating in the first GXO Accelerator cohort can learn more, review the category Sponsors and apply at gxo.lmarks.com. Applications are now open.
