Flexible storage gains prominence with advances in automation
The advancement of logistics automation in Latin America accelerates a structural transformation in the storage sector and increases pressure on traditional models, considered rigid and poorly adaptable to new operational demands.
According to consultancy Ken Research, the logistics automation market in the region was valued at US$ 1.1 billion. Market Data Forecast projects that the material handling segment is expected to grow at an annual rate of 9.8%, going from US$3 billion in 2025 to US$6.4 billion by 2033.
The movement follows the growing adoption of robotics, artificial intelligence and automated systems in logistics operations. In practice, however, technological evolution has run into a bottleneck: the physical storage infrastructure is not advancing at the same pace.
According to Fábio Maioli, CRO at Reconlog, a company specialized in flexible storage solutions, the sector is experiencing a moment of inflection.
"Logistics has evolved very quickly in recent years, but infrastructure has lagged behind. Today, it no longer makes sense to think of storage as something fixed. Companies need structures that keep up with the pace of the operation, and not the other way around", highlighted the executive.
In this scenario, flexible storage models gain ground by allowing companies to expand or reduce capacity according to demand, without the need for permanent investments in fixed structures.
Among the solutions developed by the company is the RL360, a modular storage model created to meet operations with a greater need for adaptation and scalability.
The proposal includes rapid implementation, better use of space, with free spans of up to 50 meters, and the possibility of adaptation to different industrial and logistics segments.
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According to Maioli, the change also changes the way companies view temporary storage, which is no longer seen as just an emergency measure and becomes part of strategic planning.
"Flexibility is not improvisation. It is a business decision. More mature companies have already understood that having an adaptable structure means gaining speed and reducing risk", he stated.
The sector's assessment is that more flexible structures help to reduce logistical bottlenecks, improve the alignment between demand and installed capacity and accelerate expansion or operational reconfiguration processes.
Reconlog claims to have more than 3.7 million square meters of warehouses installed in the country using the flexible storage model.
For the coming years, the market expectation is that logistics infrastructure will become increasingly demand-driven, replacing long-term projects with models capable of responding quickly to market fluctuations.
"The logic has changed. Before, the company built to predict the future. Now, it needs to be ready to respond quickly to what the market demands", concluded Maioli.
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Source: CNN