Trade, logistics and innovation to meet the future
Lund University The City of Helsingborg and the City of Helsingborg will each contribute 4 million for the start-up of the centre. Helsingborg Region received 2024 award best logistics mode together with the Gothenburg region in the magazine Intelligent Logistik ranking. In terms of research on retail, Lund University ranks fifth in the world in rankings! 1, and if we look at logistics, Lund University is in ninth place! 2. REAL (Centre for Trade and Logistics) is the centre of an entire knowledge environment and brings together not only research and education, but also the work on innovation.
- This is a unique place even with international dimensions because all these three elements are integrated, says Daniel Hellström, Head of Department at the Packaging Logistics Department at Department of Design Sciences at LTH, when he presented REAL at the Fashion @lu networking meeting with fr. The aim is to build a strong interdisciplinary research, teaching and innovation environment in the long term. In Sweden, we are skilled in the field and Lund University is good at research and teaching. In terms of innovation in this area, we could be better off.
A common idea is that traditional research leads to innovation, but Daniel Hellström also wants to see a movement in the other direction.
- Perhaps it is in innovation projects that research is at the forefront? I think this is a connection that we should highlight so that scientists do not think that research and innovation are two separate things, but that we need to see that everything is connected - scientific research also builds our teaching. Here, Future by Lund has a very important role through its work with innovation portfolios. We want to not only be part of that work but also drive it. An important initiative is to involve students in research and innovation projects.
Future by Lund works by forming innovation portfolios where several actors together tackle challenges that they cannot solve individually.
- Portfolio work provides opportunities for many complementary actors to collaborate for innovation, says Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth, Lund University and Future by Lund. It is in the intersecting fields that we find new solutions or scale up what we have in new ways. Logistics is also important linked to other development portfolios such as sustainable manufacturing, mobility, digitalisation and resilient and robust infrastructure.
Daniel Hellström highlighted how trade and logistics play a crucial role in meeting transitions caused by, for example, the climate crisis and digitalisation, and by creating resilience and shaping the necessary changes.
- Influencing and developing trade and logistics, both through business and social changes, is crucial to promote sustainable production and consumption, he says.
In order to work systematically with innovation and to drive the industry forward, there are plans to implement really large projects with many actors. So far, the projects and applications are in the planning stage.
There is also the possibility to collaborate with REAL.
*As a teacher and researcher at Lund University with a connection to the area, you can apply for membership — send an email to daniel.hellstrom@plog.lth.se
* Those who are not employed by the university can join as partners. REAL seeks partners who share their drive for sustainability and innovation, who want to contribute expertise and resources to develop the solutions of the future, and who are committed to driving both business and societal change. Contact daniel.hellstrom@plog.lth.se for more information.
More about meeting Fashion @LU with friends
Sources:
1) Retail: Ketron, S., Runyan, R., & Farris II, M. T. (2017). Prominent retailing authors and institutions: 2009-2015. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 45 (2), 177-194.
2) Logistics: Maloni, M. J., Franza, R. M., Lowman, G. H., Naphsin, S. A., & Golara, S. Supply chain management research productivity and topics: 2020—2022. The Transportation Journal