Page 69 - Linkline Summer 2016

European Supply Chain Day 2016
trade through free events and tours. The motto of the day was “Logistics paves the way”.
Logistics is an unusual industry, in that it is completely ubiquitous yet often the public know very lit- tle about it. By allowing people to take a look behind the scenes into areas that are normally “off limits”, the public have been given the op- portunity to become more famil- iar with the variety of logistics and supply chain management activi- ties and tasks that play such an im- portant role in their everyday lives, whether they were aware of it or not. Logistics and supply chain man- agement are indispensable, for ex- ample, when it comes to producing goods or lling retailer shelves with the required products. People have also been given a chance to explore some of the education and employ- ment opportunities within the sec- tor. Logistics is a core eld of exper- tise in many European countries; it is a key economic factor, a job mo- tor and a future-oriented sector that needs to attract bright minds if it is to continue to progress.
Previously, similar individual events have been held in a num-
Under the umbrella of the Euro- pean Logistics Association, the European Supply Chain Day took
ber of European countries to raise awareness of the logistics profes- sion. However, European Supply Chain Day is now taking place con- temporaneously across Europe each year. In 2015 over 38,500 partici- pants visited more than 450 events in at least 20 countries. The day of action was initiated by German based BVL International with the support of various associations and organisations, including CILT.
place on April 21st. Events across the continent included school vis- its, tours of warehouses, opening up back-of ces to visitors, talks and site visits. The day contributed to a greater public understanding of the Logistics industry and the oppor- tunities it offers, making it a wide- spread success.
There is more to Logistics and supply chain management than just transportation, warehousing and trans-shipment. This was the idea behind the, now annual, Supply Chain Day which took place on April 21st across Europe. Companies all across the industrial, trading and logistics sectors provided the pub- lic with the opportunity to look un- der the bonnet – so to speak – and experience a variety of logistics ac- tivities. Institutes showcased their research projects and education- al establishments presented their courses and curricula. All companies and institutions active in the field were invited to participate; many of whom took the opportunity to give the public a unique insight into their
Speaking about European Supply Chain Day, ELA President Jos Mari- nus stated: ‘European Supply Chain Day aims to raise awareness within the broader population of the value of logistics and supply chain activi- ties in our everyday lives. A main fo- cus will be with young people as we seek to inform them of the great ca- reer opportunities that exist within our profession. This is a unique op- portunity to raise the pro le of our profession and I encourage all levels of participation in this new and ex- citing European development.’
Supply Chain Day 2017 will take place next year on April 27th. If you or your organisation wish to host an event you can contact CILT via our website.
THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF LOGISTICS & TRANSPORT 69
SUPPLY CHAIN DAY