The first artificial refrigeration system was built in 1834. Prior to its invention, the only form of cold storage was the icehouse, which had been used in ancient marketplaces in various forms since 1700 B.C. The subsequent invention and widespread adoption of the fridge was nothing short of a revolution, forming the basis for what is now one of the most sophisticated supply chains ever conceived: the cold chain. Its next phase, digitalization, is already proving to be the most transformative move for the industry.
Digitalization has put the world on the brink of a technological paradigm shift that is impacting the way we live, work, and socialize. The evidence is all around us, from self-driving cars to software discovering new medicine. The scale, scope, and complexity of this transformation is set to have a compelling impact on the cold chain.