What Lies Ahead for Art Logistics:
Trends and Predictions for 2024 – Part I
- Company News
2023 saw our industry challenged by hikes in the cost of fuel, natural disasters and the ongoing driver shortage. In this, our first blog of 2024, we take a macro look at the trends, challenges and opportunities we expect will define the year ahead.
Fueling sustainability through innovation
Sustainability is not a new trend, but it remains high on the agenda for ICEFAT members and will be a central topic at the 2024 convention. According to PwC, emissions from road freight transport have risen more than 20 percent since 1995 despite improvements to vehicles, requiring a massive reduction to achieve climate targets[1].
Further opportunities lie in technology such as EVs, alternative fuels and fuel-efficient driving, and while there has been progress in favour of ocean over air freight, it is clear that the former offers greater environmental benefits. The Gallery Climate Coalition is an important partner in driving sustainability goals within the art world. ICEFAT’s collective role also needs to be one of education, helping clients to understand the choices for packing and shipping as well as their respective environmental impact.
Others see greater transparency and data reporting as a likely requirement which will encourage more sustainable decision making. Renata Vinhas, General Manager of Brazil-based FINK Mobility, expects “increased national government intervention in the recording and reporting of carbon emissions of logistics companies globally this year.” She is not alone. Christophe Piette, General Manager of André Chenue in France, agrees that sustainability-centered data sourcing will increase, not just for official reporting requirements, but also in response to demand from clients who require lower carbon emissions from their projects. Both FINK Mobility and André Chenue are members of Ecovadis[2], a platform that provides business sustainability ratings, enabling them to understand their progress through a constantly updated grading system.
The remarkable rise of ESG continues
Retaining talent and fostering engagement
Apice in Italy and André Chenue in France have both had success working with educational institutions to source professionals at the very beginning of their arts careers. Apice worked in partnership with Palazzo Spinelli Institute to create a dedicated course called “Handling, Transport and Logistics for Cultural Goods.” The course is open to a broad audience in the art world who want to better their skill set and is already in its sixth edition in only two years. Apice found that the course expanded its hiring pool as several former students have applied for positions after attending the course. France is also well-equipped to deal with the shortage thanks to its École Internationale de Logistique des Oeuvres d’Art. André Chenue takes six apprentices a year from the institution and is currently on its third intake. Pupils from the program often come back to work for the company permanently following graduation. Both agents predict that in 2024, closer relationships between ICEFAT members and educational establishments globally will bear fruits to lessen the talent acquisition issue in future.
These issues and many others will doubtless be discussed at length throughout 2024, not least at ICEFAT’s annual conference, which takes place this year in Montreal. Our members strive to set the highest standards for fine art logistics globally, innovating and pushing the boundaries of possibility, and we anticipate that an exciting year of progress lies ahead.
