Peter MacLeod recently paid a visit to DHL’s new Innovation Centre, a sustainable facility where new technologies are evaluated for their potential to scale.
On the edge of Troisdorf, a small commuter town near Bonn, stands a building that says as much about the future of logistics as the technologies being developed within it. DHL’s newly-opened Europe Innovation Centre is both a showcase for robotics, AI, and sustainability as well as a statement of intent.
Replacing the company’s original 2007 facility, the 5,360 sq m complex marks the latest step in DHL’s journey to harness the latest logistics innovation. Constructed entirely from cross-laminated timber and powered by renewable energy, the centre operates with zero greenhouse gas emissions, earning DGNB Platinum pre-certification, one of Europe’s highest sustainability benchmarks.
We wanted a space that’s not just bigger, but built for purpose… The new European Innovation Centre is a strategic investment in how we collaborate to co-create the future of logistics.
That sense of co-creation is woven into the design. From flexible co-working areas to modular event spaces, the building can host up to 400 visitors and run multiple workshops simultaneously. It’s about dialogue and discovery… We want visitors to feel inspired, whether they’re a customer, a startup founder, or one of our own colleagues.
explained Katja Busch, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation (CSI).
Breathing Sustainability
As Dora Virag, Director at DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation, led me through the new site, the scent of pinewood and the warmth of natural light felt strikingly at odds with the concrete norm of industrial architecture. Every structural element above the basement level is engineered wood, sourced locally from southern Germany. “We wanted to reduce carbon emissions not only in operation but in construction,” she said. “This building was designed for circularity, so its components can be reused, repurposed, or recycled. Even our main contractor provides a take-back guarantee.”
Beyond materials, sustainability extends to its operation. Smart building management systems control lighting, ventilation, and heating, while rooftop solar panels support carbon-neutral performance under Scope 1 and 2. Surrounding biodiversity zones soften the external architecture, creating what Virag calls “a place that feels alive – for people and the planet.”
From Vision to Scale
The Troisdorf facility sits at the heart of DHL Group’s Strategy 2030, focusing on digital transformation, emission-reduced logistics, and smart growth. Its purpose is not merely to ideate, but to implement. DHL has already rolled out close to 10,000 automation and digitalisation projects globally and integrated more than 8,000 collaborative robots into operations.
Nearly every site we run has been touched by our innovation agenda,
Rainer Haag, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Europe, told me.
We believe innovation only matters when it’s scaled. That’s how we deliver real impact for customers, employees, and investors alike.
Haag views AI and data analytics as the next frontier for resilience. “AI is helping us forecast disruption, manage safety through computer vision, and identify alternative transport lanes faster than ever,” he said. “It’s no longer a buzzword, it’s operational reality.”
He adds that the shift toward nearshoring and decentralised inventory is reshaping European supply chains: “We’re seeing regional distribution centres multiply as companies seek agility. Resilience is the new currency of logistics.”
Global Innovation
Troisdorf joins DHL’s network of Innovation Centres in Chicago, Singapore, and Dubai, forming a global ecosystem where ideas are tested, scaled, and shared. But the European hub, known internally as EPIC 2.0, stands apart as both a showcase and a symbol as sustainable as the future it hopes to enable.
“Innovation is our engine,” Busch concluded. “The new centre is where ideas become impact, and where we’ll continue turning logistics challenges into opportunities for years to come.”
