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MICHAEL V9The new academic year started earlier this year and I am delighted to welcome our new MSc full-time students and PhD students who will be studying Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain Management.

We have welcomed 2 new faculty members Professors Ying Xie and Aristides Matopoulos and a fond farewell to Professor Richard Wilding and Dr Soroosh Saghiri.

The team has been busy working on different projects and hosting executive development courses. We are also launching our new online MSc programme which starts in February 2023, further details are given below.

Professor Michael Bourlakis
Director of Research, Head of Logistics, Procurement & Supply Chain Management Group

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Staff Briefing

Welcome to

Professor Ying Xie – September 2022

Ying Xie 110Professor Ying Xie’s research interests cover machine learning, big data analytics, forecasting, decision support system, supply chain modelling and simulation, supply chain digitalisation and sustainability. She specialises in healthcare supply chain, international shipping, port management, and sustainable aviation supply chain.

Ying has successfully won and completed many research and consultancy projects, totalling more than £1 million, including projects from EPSRC, Innovate UK, ERDF, EU Horizon, Health Education England and various industries. Commissioned by Health Education England, Ying examined population health prevalence in East England and supported a multi-year healthcare workforce plan. She is involved with Iotics Lab and Ocado Technology to develop digital twins enabled ecosystems for social care and healthcare. Funded by EPSRC, Ying is working with Felixstowe Port (UK) to improve the utilisation of rail transport of containers and to reduce impacts on environments. Ying also actively works with institutions from the Oxford-Cambridge Arc Universities Group to build the future of sustainable aviation in the UK.

Ying is a board member in the Strategy Advisory Board for Digital Supply Chain Innovation Hub, Digital Catapult. This is a £10m programme funded by UKRI and it draws another £10m investment from the private sector.

Professor Aristides Matopoulos – October 2022

Aris Matopoulos 110v2Professor Aristides Matopoulos joins Cranfield University from Aston University where he was previously a Reader and the Head of the Engineering Systems & Supply Chain Management Department.

He is particularly interested in the concepts of “Design for Supply Chain/Logistics” and how to design the supply chain based on maturity and capability assessments with the use of the Supply Chain Readiness Level Tool.

He has held PI and Co-PI roles in several research projects (e.g. Horizon/H2020, ERDF, mKTP) and has been involved in consulting projects as a freelance consultant. He is a regular invited speaker at major UK and international business conferences and an external evaluator (e.g. French National Research Agency, the prestigious Canada Excellence Research Chairs, European Commission).

In 2019 he was appointed a Royal Society Short Industry Fellow to collaborate with Williams Advanced Engineering a world-class technical innovation, engineering and specialist low volume manufacturing services provider in assessing group’s supply chain.

His research has appeared in the major Supply Chain Management/Logistics outlets and his industrial research collaborators include Rolls-Royce, Jaguar Land Rover, Saietta Group, MCT Reman, M&S, and many SMEs. Aris is also a Visiting Professor at the Vietnam Maritime University and at the University of Lille. 

Farewell to

richard wilding 110Professor Richard Wilding

Richard Wilding left Cranfield on 17th June. He will be a missed member of the team. Richard said “Thank you for all the support over the years, it has been quite a journey after joining on 1 October 1998 that makes it 23 years 9 months and 3 days of working at Cranfield”. Richard will continue supporting us as an Emeritus Professor.

Soroosh 110Dr Soroosh Saghiri

Soroosh left Cranfield on 17th October. We wish him well in his future endeavours. Soroosh said “I would like to sincerely thank you for all your support and collaboration over the last twelve years! Thanks also for the wonderful goodbye gift, card, and messages.”

Recent Projects

Leonardo Project

HIL triple 300We conducted a research study for Leonardo UK to identify “What the Art of the Possible” could be for their supply chain over a 5-to-10-year period. The study involved a literature review and a series of interviews with Leonardo (a multinational company focusing on aerospace, defence and security) and their suppliers and customers. It was successfully completed at the end of September. The output provided guidance on the supply chain trends, which are of the highest priority for Leonardo and others which ranked lower. Both Leonardo and Cranfield have found the project rewarding and informative and it is hoped that we will work together again possibly next year.
The team was led by Dr Heather Skipworth and other members included Dr Ismail Abushaikha and Dr Lorenzo Prataviera.

Inchcape PLC Project

AENB colage (2)Inchcape PLC is the leading independent multi-brand global automotive distributor, with solid fundamentals and significant growth opportunities ahead. The new project with Inchcape PLC is led by Dr Abhijeet Ghadge and other members of the Centre (Professor Emel Aktas, Dr Banu Ekren & Dr Nicky Yates). The project attempts to develop a thought leadership report consolidating the understanding of their global supply chain and potential future opportunities.

This recently started project is expected to gather and analyse the questionnaire and interview data to provide insights into market trends and future opportunities in the supply chain. Furthermore, it will provide recommendations to Inchcape for future investments, including how staff capabilities could be developed to match future needs via possible executive development opportunities.

ECO-READY: New European Project

michael 110Professor Michael Bourlakis has won a new European project entitled “Achieving Ecological Resilient Dynamism for the European food system through consumer-driven policies, socio-ecological challenges, biodiversity, data-driven policy, sustainable futures” (ECO-READY). This project will develop a real-time surveillance system, an Observatory offered as an e-platform and as a mobile application aiming to provide real-time assessments for the food system, and update forecasts frequently and consistently. The Observatory will be available to society, policymakers, the scientific community, and the agri-food industry. It will be integrated with a network of 10 Living Labs producing knowledge-based resilience strategies to develop appropriate tools. The project will last for four years, it is funded by Horizon Europe and numerous companies, universities and other European stakeholders will participate.

Blockchain for supply chains: Research Developments

NAM tripleThe Centre for Logistics, Procurement & Supply Chain Management has been at the forefront of Blockchain technology research in food and pharmaceutical supply chains. A three-year SOM-funded project led by a PhD student, Mr Nam Vu, and supervised by Dr Abhijeet Ghadge and Prof Michael Bourlakis explored the true potential of this disruptive technology in the food supply chain. The project established an evidence-based implementation model for Blockchain in the food industry, capturing typical stages, associated activities, and contextual determinants needed for successful integration. Capitalising on the knowledge developed in the project, the work was extended to Pharmaceutical supply chains to address sector-specific challenges such as patient privacy, regulations and clinical trials.

ReSChape (Reshaping Supply Chains for Positive Social Impact

Aris Matopoulos 110v2Professor Aris Matopoulos, will be working on project ReSChape. ReSChape is a three-year collaborative Research & Innovation Action project with partners from five other European countries (Aston University, UK; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy; INESC Technology and Science, Portugal; Fraunhofer IML, Germany; RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Germany; Zaragoza Logistics Center, Universidad de Deusto, Spain; Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands; IRIS Technology Solutions).

The project will analyse social (as well as economic and environmental) changes and disruptions impacting on supply chains at levels ranging from the relationships between countries to the impact on employment. The aim of ReSChape is to propose new, innovative supply chain models that will allow integrated and global strategies but will at the same time reflect the need to be resource-efficient and closed-loop. The project is expected to improve EU resilience and sustainability by developing innovative tools to evaluate the impact of disruptions, including Covid-19 on social indicators.

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Centre Updates

IMHX Conference & Knowledge Hub

mel noreen 220The IMHX Conference took place on 6th, 7th & 8th September 2022. Cranfield University was the only academic partner for the IMHX conference. Noreen Munnelly and Mel King welcomed everyone on the stand. We received a lot of interest and leads from the event particularly with apprenticeships and student projects. The knowledge hub set up by SEC Group for the sustainability zone was a huge success and is available for use for 12 months. You can follow the link to view the Knowledge Hub.

PhD Students and PhD Scholarships

We have had 5 new PhD students starting with us this year including our first match funded PhD student scholarship with Network Rail. Under this scheme, companies will cover 50% of the costs for PhD fees and the student stipend and the remaining 50% of the costs will be covered by Cranfield School of Management. This is an excellent opportunity to work closer with us and to be supported by our faculty members for contemporary strategic and operational challenges your organisations may be facing.

Please contact Professor Michael Bourlakis m.bourlakis@cranfield.ac.uk if you want to find out more for this PhD match funded scholarship opportunity.

Hosting a Cranfield MSc Thesis Project

HL colajAs part of our commitment to developing the future leaders in the field, our Supply Chain Management MSc programmes provide students with the opportunity to put the knowledge gained in class into practice as part of their thesis projects. Every year, students can undertake a 4-month (May - August) thesis project with industrial sponsors on projects that add value to the sponsoring organisation.

Our intention is to support you and your company in driving real benefits back into your business. We will provide you with customised, high quality, low-cost, and objective research into areas that you may not have the time, resources or expertise to address. Moreover, your organisation will conduct interviews to select the candidate who is the most suitable for your own needs, and build relevant goodwill for the future, meeting some of our talented MSc students.

The thesis projects can cover a broad spectrum of topics in the areas of Logistics, Procurement, Transportation and Supply Chain Management, such as: big data, spend analyses, forecasting, warehouse optimisation, supply chain strategy, network design, inventory modelling, supplier evaluation, transport simulation, commercial contract management, sustainable practices, new/alternative energy sources etc. Over the years our students have successfully completed projects with a wide range of sponsoring organisations across various industries/sectors.

If you or your organisation are interested in sponsoring 1 or multiple projects from May to August 2023, please do so by clicking on the button below or by contacting Dr Lorenzo Prataviera Lorenzo.prataviera@cranfield.ac.uk or Dr Hendrik Reefke  hendrik.reefke@cranfield.ac.uk.

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Executive MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management Online

Start Date: February 2023
Ismail 110Our live online Executive Logistics and Supply Chain Management MSc offers students the opportunity to study for an internationally recognised master's qualification. This part-time supply chain postgraduate course is designed to nurture your practical business skills and confidence. It also places huge emphasis on real-world challenges and industry best practice which you can apply back to your own organisation. It has been co-designed with senior supply chain practitioners and it is delivered by one of Europe's largest specialist logistics, procurement, and supply chain management faculties. Students will benefit from a diverse student cohort and our faculty’s direct involvement with global businesses. On completion, graduates will have a deep understanding of contemporary supply chain issues and a capacity to assume active leadership roles.

This MSc course comprises of 12 intensive taught modules, an individual thesis project, and an optional international study tour. 10 of the 12 taught modules are delivered live online and 2 modules are taught at Cranfield face-to-face in the summer week. Students will have the opportunity to complete several supply chain, logistics and procurement simulation games based on real-life business challenges. They will also complete an individual thesis project providing you with an opportunity to investigate an area of particular interest to you.

Further details on the programme by clicking the button below.

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If you are interested in our new online variant of the Executive MSc, please apply here Cranfield University - Online applications by 30th January 2023 Or contact Dr Ismail Abushaikha on Ismail.abushaikha@cranfield.ac.uk.

Executive Development Courses

yannis noreen 220The Cranfield Centre for Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain Management has an excellent, world-wide reputation in providing teaching and research. We offer a variety of programmes including initial training, retraining, upskilling and team strengthening via our full-time and part-time MSc programme, a part-time MSc Level 7 Senior Leaders Master's Degree Apprenticeship, executive short courses as well as our customised executive programmes.

For our Executive Programmes, we follow a co-creation and co-design approach developing programmes around your specific needs. Our starting point is to understand the impact you are seeking to achieve and the state-of-play. What is happening in your organisation? How will this learning programme contribute to the achievement of your strategy? What do your people need to be able to do differently?

We will partner you with a Programme Director, a thought leader in the specific discipline from our Centre, who will work closely with you, from discovery and skills gap analysis to design, to delivery, and to evaluation, on the learning programmes that are uniquely created to meet your specific objectives. Our aim is to exceed the expectations of the stakeholders, including senior sponsors, the managers and participants.

Indicative content we are currently delivering, includes: supply chain strategy, operations & inventory management, the changing competitive environment, lean and agile supply chains, from forecast driven to demand driven supply chain management, supply chain risk and resilience, data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning for supply chain management, supply chain alignment, supply chain finance, strategic procurement, negotiations, supplier relationship strategies, shipping and maritime logistics, warehouse design and warehouse 4.0, network design, Industry 4.0, additive manufacturing and 3D Printing, supply chain management for platforms and for new economy companies.

For more information or to register your interest please contact Noreen Munnelly at N.Munnelly@cranfield.ac.uk and Dr Yannis Koliousis  I.Koliousis@cranfield.ac.uk.

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Events

30th November 2022 Addictive Manufacturing in Future Supply Chains Workshop

yba triple 300This was organised by Dr Banu Ekren, Senior Lecturer in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Dr Yannis Koliousis, Associate Professor and Director of Executive MBA and Dr Abhijeet Ghadge, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management
Additive Manufacturing (AM), also called 3D printing, is one of the biggest disruptive technological developments of recent years. Parts are manufactured layer-by-layer directly from the digital design file without product-specific setup and tooling. By printing the objects layer by layer, AM provides greater freedom in design, with little or no added cost for greater complexity, resulting in less waste. AM can contribute to recent industry competitiveness from enhanced operational flexibility, speed-to-market, plant productivity, supply chain resiliency and circular economy by creating lighter, well performing, greener and potentially cheaper industrial products.

27th January 2023 Digital Transformation in supply chains: Collaboration and culture change 

emyc colajThis webinar is led by Professor Emel Aktas and speakers at the event are Professors Michael Bourlakis and Ying Xie, they will be joined by Caroline Gorski, CEO, R2 Factory at Rolls-Royce, UK.

The webinar will provide a better understanding of how collaboration and culture change can facilitate digital transformation across supply chains. We will also discuss how digital transformation can address the fragility, interconnectedness, and hidden data challenges faced by global supply chains, especially in the current geo-political environment. This webinar is co-delivered by Rolls-Royce’s R2-factory. R2-factory is a digital transformation members’ community that helps organisations tackle their industrial challenges. R2-factory specialises in collaborating with organisations to build solutions to their digital transformation challenges, using advanced data analytics and AI with digital culture change, deep domain knowledge, and system engineering expertise.

For further information about these events please visit our events page:

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I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year

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Professor Michael Bourlakis

Contact Us
T: +44 (0) 1234 758561
E: m.bourlakis@cranfield.ac.uk
W: www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/clpscm


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