The seminar “The Future of Logistics: Value, Risk and Sustainability”,
focused on a roundtable coordinated by Enzo Baglieri,
saw the participation of experts from around the world.
Bergamo, May 12, 2011 – Pesenti Foundation: seminar on logistics.
A focused look at the future of logistics, with particular attention to sustainability aspects.
This is the summary of what emerged at the international seminar “The Future of Logistics: Value, Risk and Sustainability”, held on Wednesday, May 11, at the Via dei Caniana campus of the University of Bergamo.
The event coincided with the conclusion of the first of four study cycles of the PhD program in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, conducted in collaboration with the Logistics Center of Zaragoza (a partner of MIT Boston) and SDA Bocconi in Milan. This is a high-level course supported by the Cav. . Lav. . Carlo Pesenti Foundation, which decided to invest in the scientific deepening of logistics and supply chain topics. crucial for modern industry in times of globalization,” as emphasized at the opening by Dario Massi, representing the Foundation.
The seminar, centered on a roundtable coordinated by Enzo Baglieri, professor at SDA Bocconi, featured world-renowned experts such as Morris Cohen from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Simon Croom from the School of Business Administration at the University of San Diego, Gianfranco Rusconi and Angelo Renoldi from the University of Bergamo, and Pietro Romano from the University of Udine.
The Roundtable
The presentations and the roundtable highlighted how logistics is still an underestimated lever of competitiveness for companies and how it can contribute, as has happened for example in Zaragoza, to the development of local economies.
Logistics may seem a peripheral activity compared to companies’ core businesses but is, in fact, the function that guarantees customer service—both regarding distribution and delivery and post-sale activities.
Poor logistics service performance—above all delivery delays and unavailability of goods at the point of sale—is therefore the root cause of much customer dissatisfaction and often lost sales.
Seminar Topic
The seminar topic was also discussed from an entrepreneurial perspective by Stefano Gardi, Director of Sustainable Development at Italcementi, particularly on the relationship between logistics and sustainability. Gardi explained how sustainable business practices must also be evaluated in the organization of the supply chain. Italcementi, for example, is committed to fully involving subcontractors in its system of workplace safety rules.
Another company goal is the accounting and optimization of CO2 emissions, considering not only the direct production sphere but also extending the view to the entire product life cycle, thus taking responsibility for indirect CO2 emissions as well. Finally, special attention is given to supplier qualification, where transparency and legality are indispensable conditions.