More than 50 professionals from industry, government and academia participated in the first ever Port Logistics: What’s Next? workshop April 10-11 in Savannah.  The program was sponsored by DINALOG (Dutch Institute for Advanced Logistics) and the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistics Institute (SCL). DINALOG and SCL are engaged in ongoing research and educational programming activities associated with a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2015 to support the advancement of global logistics practices and technologies.
 
Participants in the invitation-only event hailed from Singapore, Panama, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and the United States. The conference focused on the emerging role of ports in global trade. Such topics as port logistics in the physical Internet era, new port roles as industry interconnectors and regional development enablers, automation and robotics, and maritime-intensive supply chains were a part of the robust agenda. The program included a tour of the Port of Savannah provided by the Georgia Ports Authority.

The program committee was comprised of Professors Benoit Montreuil and Martin Savelsbergh of Georgia Tech, Professor Iris Vis of the University of Groningen (and representing DINALOG), and SCL’s managing director, Tim Brown.
 
“This is just one more way Georgia Tech fosters a global ecosystem of academic, industry, and government partners focused on next generation research and education,” Brown said. “Together, we can continue to build on the port’s successes and continue to bring the world to Savannah.”