DHL and Alibaba bring AI powered logistics capabilities to global small and medium-sized enterprises
DHL Group and Alibaba.com have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to pursue the use of AI with a view to improving the end-to-end logistics experience for SMEs engaged in international trade. The pair intend to evaluate how AI powered tools can support customers throughout their international trade journey, from sourcing and supplier discovery to logistics quotation, booking and shipment execution to make cross-border trade simpler, faster and more accessible.
Katja Busch, Chief Commercial Officer DHL and Head of DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation, says: “SMEs are the backbone of the global economy, but many still face challenges navigating the complex rules, regulations, and trade requirements that come with international expansion. By bringing together Alibaba.com’s digital commerce expertise and DHL’s logistics capabilities, we want to explore how technology can help businesses spend less time managing complexity and more time focusing on growth.”
DHL and Alibaba.com will explore the integration of DHL Global Forwarding’s logistics services into Alibaba.com’s agentic AI platform Accio. Accio is a plug and play enterprise AI agent and agentic business team that equips businesses with an immediate, no-code taskforce designed to support the diverse operational needs of SMEs worldwide.
Accio will be able to connect to DHL Global Forwarding’s Quotation & Booking capabilities, enabling businesses to obtain real-time freight forwarding quotes, evaluate shipping options and book shipments more seamlessly. The new capability is the first in a planned suite of DHL logistics capabilities designed to automate key business tasks, improve operational efficiency and enable SMEs to scale more effectively.
Kuo Zhang, President at Alibaba.com, says: “AI is fundamentally changing how businesses participate in global trade, making capabilities that once required significant time, expertise and resources more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises. At Alibaba.com, our vision for Accio is to help businesses move from opportunity to execution across the trade journey. By exploring ways to connect Accio with DHL’s global logistics capabilities, we hope to lower the barriers to cross-border commerce and help SMEs move faster and with greater confidence as they grow internationally.”
Tim Robertson, Executive Vice President Accelerated Digitalisation, DHL Global Forwarding, said: “Global trade is becoming increasingly digital and customers expect logistics to be as seamless as the rest of their business activities. Through this collaboration, we will explore how advanced AI capabilities can support customers with faster access to information, greater transparency and more efficient logistics processes. We see significant potential in combining intelligent digital platforms with DHL’s logistics network and expertise.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
