Nagel-Group wins ECR Innovation Excellence Award from GS1 Germany: Pilot project for digital traceability and real-time data for urban supply
Bonn, 30 September 2025. Nagel-Group, together with its subsidiary B+S GmbH Logistik und Dienstleistungen and the LEAFR corporate venture, was honoured to receive the renowned ECR Innovation Excellence Award from GS1 Germany. The company, working with project partners EatFresh GmbH, European EPC Competence Centre GmbH (EECC) and Bünting Großhandel und Service GmbH & Co. KG, has successfully implemented a pilot project for a fully digitalised delivery process with RFID tracking and real-time data.
The pilot project began with the question of how fresh food can be delivered in urban areas in a cost-effective and resource-efficient manner, whilst meeting stringent requirements regarding delivery speed and traceability. The project’s focus: digital networking of all stakeholders to ensure a seamless flow of data whilst safeguarding data sovereignty – as the basis for quality assurance and the targeted evaluation of options for reducing emissions.
Fully digitized supply chain from production to consumer
The solution is a fully digitalised delivery process that was successfully developed and implemented as part of the project. Freshly made wraps can be used to illustrate this process: the Bünting Group produces the wraps and carries out the RFID tagging (“Radio-Frequency Identification”) directly during packaging in the GS1 SMART box. The RFID tags used were evaluated by EECC GmbH and enable standardised data exchange via EPCIS (“Electronic Product Code Information Services”), a GS1 standard that digitally records all steps such as production, storage and delivery, making them all traceable.
After packaging, Nagel-Group transports the wraps to the B+S Logistik und Dienstleistungen warehouse in Alzenau under temperature control. This is where the order picking happens, preparing the products for the last mile of their journey. Deliveries to EatFresh’s smart vending machines are powered by LEAFR’s battery-electric vehicles. The wraps are then transported directly to the end consumer via the automated fridges. Thanks to the EECC’s latest SSI technology, consumers can decide for themselves whether they also want to be part of this E2E digitalised supply chain with their data.
From production and order picking to delivery and sales, the RFID tag makes sure every step is documented and traceable in real time. Modern technologies such as RFID, GPS tracking and real-time temperature monitoring are successfully combined to create a future-proof solution for supplying urban areas.
A true gain for concepts with measurable optimisation results
Every year, the ECR Award from GS1 Germany recognises projects that achieve significant efficiency gains through collaborative partnerships across the supply chain. At its heart lies the concept of ECR (‘Efficient Consumer Response’): joint action by manufacturers and retailers aimed at providing consumers with faster, more cost-effective and, at the same time, more efficient flows of goods.
Projects that are submitted for consideration are evaluated against a clearly defined catalogue of criteria that allows the jury to make an objective and comparable assessment. The optimisation of processes and costs as well as measurable sales growth and ecological and social sustainability are all influential here. The degree of implementation is also included in the assessment, in particular the question of whether the project has already been successfully implemented and is being rolled out across the board.
Honoured at the award ceremony in Bonn
The ECR Innovation Excellence Award ceremony took place on 29 September in Bonn and honoured outstanding projects that are actively shaping the future of the supply chain. Nagel-Group accepted the award together with its project partners B+S Logistik und Dienstleistungen, LEAFR, EatFresh and the Bünting Group.
Max Klostermann, Venture CEO of LEAFR, represented the project at the award ceremony. As the person responsible for the last mile, he was involved in the project right from the start and, together with the partners, explained the approach to a specialist trade audience and the jury.
“With LEAFR, we are focusing on a battery-powered, digital and highly flexible solution for urban food logistics. “The fact that we were able to take to the stage alongside our partners shows just how important innovative delivery concepts are for the future of supply and how much we can achieve when we think as one,” said Max Klostermann, Venture CEO at LEAFR, during the awards ceremony.
updated on 22 September 2026
