Move2Green: Kalmar joins the ‘Autonomy without Fences’ research project to redefine human-machine interaction in logistics
We’re excited to share a major milestone in our Move2Green R&D program and ecosystem.
Kalmar has joined the Autonomy without Fences research project, a collaboration aiming to revolutionise how humans and machines interact in logistics and mining. We are proud to partner with Aalto University, Normet, Sandvik, and KWH on this initiative, which has secured over €1 million in funding with a grant from Business Finland.
For Kalmar, this project represents an opportunity to follow and support the development of new technologies in mixed traffic environments. “We already have fully automated machines in ports, but they operate in closed-off areas. The next step is mixed traffic mode, meaning environments where autonomous machines work alongside manually driven machines and pedestrians, but still manage to navigate and move containers independently. We expect this project to produce vital research results for that,” says Lari Melander, Technical Product Owner at Kalmar.
Moving beyond rigid systems
While current industrial applications allow manual and autonomous fleets to coexist, a safe and dynamic environment where humans, manual assets, and autonomous systems operate simultaneously in the exact same shared area without physical or virtual barriers remains an industry challenge. The Autonomy without fences project aims to redefine these safety and operational protocols.
Autonomy without Fences visualises a safer future in the industrial sector. Image: Aalto University.
“We are addressing the limitations of currently rigid automated systems and introducing AI frameworks to enhance situational awareness, aiming to improve both safety and efficiency in industrial workplaces,” says Tomasz Kucner, Professor at Aalto University and Project Coordinator.
The project’s objectives are:
- Robust context-dependent situation awareness
- Real-time risk-aware decision-making in shared environments
- Efficient local & global state estimation and communication
The project will integrate real-time situational awareness, human trajectory prediction, and adaptive decision-making on edge devices. By helping machines anticipate human movement and adapt in real time, smooth, intuitive collaboration can be created. This will allow autonomous systems to move from reactive, last-second safety measures to smooth, anticipatory interaction.
Part of the Move2Green Ecosystem
Move2Green is Kalmar’s strategic five-year R&D program and ecosystem, launched in spring 2025. Co-funded by Business Finland’s Leading Company Challenge (Veturi), our vision is to enable net-zero logistics chains in ports, terminals, and heavy industrial logistics by 2045.
To realize this vision, Kalmar is building the Move2Green ecosystem, which brings together around 150 partners, including industrial companies, technology providers, research institutes, and universities. Kalmar will invest €50 million into Move2Green, with an additional €20 million from Business Finland. Additionally, the ecosystem is estimated to invest 50 million euros, with partners having access to up to 50 million euros in Business Finland funding. The program drives innovation through three key themes: Electrification and Energy Storage, Data-Driven Services and Processes, and Circularity and Responsibility.
Read more about Move2Green.
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