Lightweight, ultra-connected seaborne containers

David Baur, cofounder of the start-up © 2022 Alain Herzog - The composite containers developed by AELER, an EPFL startup, deliver better performance across the board: they're stronger, have a bigger payload, are better insulated, allow for enhanced tracking and can help cut carbon emissions. More than 60 of the containers are currently crossing oceans around the world, and the firm hopes to grow this number substantially starting next year. Cargo ships carrying containers in a rainbow of colors have been a feature of maritime transport for over 50 years. These containers provide a low-cost, standardized way of shipping goods and are a linchpin of global trade - some 80% of products worldwide are transported via this method. And thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), shipping containers have gone high-tech in recent years: IoT technology helps lower the financial losses from stolen merchandise, misplaced articles and perishable foodstuffs. AELER has taken these advances one step further with its revolutionary Unit One containers. While these units still meet industry-standard specifications for size, their structure has been improved to provide a bigger payload, greater strength and better insulation.