Maersk enters strategic logistics partnership with Unilever

Maersk announced today the signing of an international freight supply chain management partnership with consumer goods giant Unilever effective from 2022.

The four-year agreement will see the development and management of Unilever’s International Control Tower Solution – an operational management solution which will consolidate the execution of its global ocean and air transport, with the aim of enhancing visibility, increasing efficiency and driving reductions in emissions across its operations.

Maersk will be providing operational management of international ocean and air transport, underpinned by Maersk’s digital supply chain platform NeoNav.

“We are excited that Unilever has chosen our logistics expertise and our technological platform NeoNav to provide an overview of the links that make up its ocean and air logistics operations. At the same time NeoNav also offers actionable insights on how to optimise the supply chain, for example in terms of carbon emissions,” said Aymeric Chandavoine, head of logistics and services at A.P. Moller – Maersk.

“We’re delighted to be working with Maersk to unify our global ocean and air logistics operations. Not only does this end-to-end approach ensure better service for our customers and reduce business waste, the added visibility will also help us mitigate risk, increase agility, and help us achieve our company wide target of becoming carbon neutral by 2039,” said Michelle Grose, VP global logistics and fulfilment at Unilever.

The value of the partnership has not been disclosed.

The ties between Unilever and Maersk are numerous. Former Maersk CEO Nils Andersen is chair of Unilever these days while the two companies were among nine big brands last year to create the Transform to Net Zero initiative, a grouping that intends to develop and deliver research, guidance, and implementable roadmaps to enable all businesses to achieve net zero emissions.