The ICT&Logistics trade fair and the Logistics Management Association (vLm) are joining forces for the first Logistics Debate to be held at Royal Jaarbeurs on 8 November. "ICT is indispensable as logistics processes become increasingly complex and intertwined. ICT&Logistics is therefore part of the logistics profession and thus provides an excellent platform to debate with each other," says vLm chairman Roland Bulder. Het Logistiek Debat provides a platform for stakeholders from various organisations to jointly discuss the challenges and opportunities in the world of logistics.
Logistics Netherlands is facing major challenges. Roland Bulder: "There are so many developments going on in logistics at the moment, from the debate about the doom of the landscape to the rise of artificial intelligence and the shortage on the labour market. It is important to engage in a discussion with each other on three themes: maintaining position at the world's logistics top, e-commerce and human captital. During The Logistics Debate, we will not solve all the problems, but we can inspire each other and give new insights."
Netherlands retains position at world's logistics top
After five years, the Netherlands is back in the top five of the Logistics Performance Index in which countries are judged on their logistics performance. At the same time, resistance is growing in society against the increasing number of XXL distribution centres and their impact on the environment and landscape. The Logistics Debate kicks off with a debate on the position of the Netherlands as a logistics hub. Machiel Bode of ING, Cees Pille of TLN, Christa Baas of the Province of Overijssel and Oliver Rebollo of software platform Trans.eu will answer the question of how the logistics sector can ensure that the Netherlands remains a world leader.
ING's Machiel Bode underlines the importance of this topic: "Society's support for logistics seems to be under pressure, especially when it comes to the so-called dumbing down of the landscape and the supposedly low contribution of transit to the economy. But the logistics sector's claim on the surface area of the Netherlands is only limited to 0.13 per cent. The contribution of transit to the economy is downplayed, while researchers at the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) were recently surprised to learn that transit appears to be the engine behind Dutch exports. Policies and choices should be based on the overall picture."
More debate: e-commerce and human capital
The second theme concerns the importance of technology for efficient logistics operations in the e-commerce sector. The model of fast delivery times, free shipping and free returns is under pressure. At the same time, inventory levels are rising, putting pressure on margins. Jan Kraaijeveld of Slimstock, Roland Slegers of Deliverymatch and Joke Vink-Goudriaan of Homefashion Group, the company behind Leen Bakker and Kwantum, will discuss this.
The latest debate is about human capital in logistics. New technologies in digitalisation, automation and robotisation are leading to radical changes in the logistics profession. To keep operations running, the sector needs people with different skills. Yolande de Heus joins the conversation on behalf of the Top Sector Logistics with Girbien de Bruin of Tempoteam and Mark Tamis of the Defence Logistics Knowledge Centre.
Breaking existing circles of thought
Het Logistiek Debat will take place on Wednesday 8 November from 14.00 to 16.00 in the Logistics Arena, the main stage of ICT&Logistiek. The debate will be led by moderator Diana Vink, in daily life interim project manager and guidance expert at LOGIMPRO. "I hope for a good debate with lots of positive energy and fun interaction, not only between the panellists but also with the audience. A debate that offers people different perspectives on current issues and encourages them to think about their impact on their own company or their own career. If the audience continues to chat, leaves with new insights and thinks 'I want to be there again next time', the debate is successful as far as I am concerned," says Vink.
Additional information
Want to know more about The Logistics Debate? Check out the programme.
Visitors to ICT&Logistics 2023 can register for free here.
You can see the entire programme, themes, all activities and daily updates at: ict-en-logistiek.nl and via updates on LinkedIn or Twitter.
