The Supply Chain Innovation research group at HZ University of Applied Sciences is working with businesses and governments in the region to investigate how innovations can make logistics chains in Zeeland more efficient, responsive, sustainable and competitive.
Researchers analyze the opportunities and impact of new technologies, the added value and conditions for successful cooperation in chains and the characteristics of new business models when new concepts are introduced. Because logistics is a "global playing field," the research group collaborates with universities and colleges in the Netherlands and abroad and examines the position of Zeeland's logistics companies within the context of international supply chains.
The research group works closely with Zeeland's innovation platforms Zeeland Connect and Food Delta Zeeland.
Four themes
The themes on which it conducts research are:
- Logistics flows and connections: The Zeeland economy and especially the port can only remain competitive if the connections to the hinterland are good and reliable. We examine how companies can work together to strengthen hinterland connections.
- Zero Emission Logistics: For logistics, the ambition of the Paris Climate Agreement means a transition to clean energy carriers. The transition process to those goals is also complex for logistics service providers. The professorship conducts research into logistics innovations to implement zero emission, the investment decisions for companies and the required loading and fueling infrastructure in Zeeland.
- Digitalization and robotization: This will make companies more responsive and less sensitive to labor availability. The group is investigating how companies can record and process data and information automatically and robotize processes.
- Autonomous transport: In the coming years, 'connected' vehicles, such as 'truck platooning', will first be introduced on a large scale in the Netherlands before taking steps towards the introduction of fully autonomous vehicles. Autonomous ships are also making their appearance. Supply Chain Innovation is investigating how to deploy this technology and what adjustments are needed to do so.
It is happy to make the developed knowledge available to companies in the region.
