AI and robotics in the postal industry

Organized by the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) Knowledge Centre & Think Tank, in coordination with the Postal Technology Centre, this webinar is the second session of the UPU Innovation Webinar Series. It explores how artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are reshaping postal operations and how humans and intelligent machines can work together to build the postal workforce of the future.

• Time: 13:00–14:00 CEST
• Featured speakers: Christian Oestergaard, Senior Technology Strategist, PostNord and Ravi Kiran Kotty, Digital Transformation Technology Strategist, PostNord
• Format: Online via Zoom
• Register now here.

How can humans, AI and robotics work together to shape the future postal workforce?
AI and robotics are beginning to redefine how postal services operate. From sorting centres and warehouses to last-mile delivery, intelligent machines are increasingly capable of supporting tasks traditionally carried out by people.

For the postal sector, however, the key question is not simply whether robots will replace postal workers, but how humans and machines will work together. The future postal workforce may increasingly combine the efficiency, precision and scalability of technology with the adaptability, responsibility and social skills of people.

This raises important questions for the industry: Which tasks should be automated and which should remain human? How can postal services be designed so that people and intelligent machines complement each other? And what are the real costs of implementing these technologies?

Ultimately, the winning postal operator may not be the one with the most robots, but the one that best combines human capabilities, AI and robotics into a productive and trusted workforce.

Featured speakers: 

• Christian Oestergaard, Senior Technology Strategist, PostNord

Christian Oestergaard is a senior technology strategist at PostNord with extensive experience in postal, logistics and supply-chain operations, and a strong focus on robotics, automation and intelligent production systems. His work explores how autonomous technologies, AI, the Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced automation can be integrated into real-world logistics environments to improve efficiency, flexibility and service quality.

• Ravi Kiran Kotty, Digital Transformation Technology Strategist, PostNord

Ravi Kiran Kotty specializes in the application of AI, machine learning, computer vision, IoT and advanced automation within parcel and logistics operations at PostNord. His work focuses on transforming traditional logistics facilities into intelligent, connected environments where automation, real-time data and increasingly autonomous systems can improve productivity, visibility and operational decision-making.

What the session will cover
Participants will explore:

• Training humans and robots: As the time required to train robots for routine tasks becomes shorter, employees also need to develop new skills to work effectively with increasingly automated systems. The session will consider this training gap, including the emerging gap between industrialized and developing countries, and how the postal sector can collectively address it.
• Sharing experiences: PostNord will share lessons from its experience introducing automation and the latest technologies in its sorting centres and office of exchange, including what has worked and the challenges encountered along the way.
• Seeing it work: A short demonstration will show robots being used in sorting centres and how they are transforming daily work by assisting postal employees in performing their tasks more effectively.
• Promise and pitfalls of robotics: Robotics has long promised cost savings and greater automation, but implementation can be more complex in practice. The session will consider how AI could help narrow the gap between theory and implementation and accelerate the adoption and learning curve for both humans and robots.

Who should attend?
This session is intended for postal operators, regulators, ministries and other public authorities, as well as academic and technology partners. No technical background is required.

What you will take away

• A clearer view of the business case: Robotics is not automatically a cost-saving solution. The business case depends on process design, scale, integration, reliability, safety, maintenance, workforce acceptance and the ability to handle exceptions.
• Lessons from real-world implementation: PostNord’s experience will provide practical insights into what works, what takes time and the organizational and technical challenges that can emerge when automation is introduced at scale.
• A human-centred perspective on automation: Human skills need to evolve together with technology. This means not only training employees to use robots and AI, but also designing systems that people can understand, supervise and trust.