In a world where digitalisation, decarbonisation, circularity, and geopolitical risks are reshaping supply chains, the need for collective action has never been more crucial. The recent IPSERA online event brought to the forefront the transformative power of collaboration across sectors.

During an insightful roundtable discussion on 7th February 2024, we delved into the roles of not-for-profit foundations such as Together for Sustainability (TfS), the Open Compute Project (OCP), and Fraunhofer ISS – CATENA-X in steering systemic transformations towards sustainable supply chains. These organizations exemplify how data sharing and open-source initiatives are pivotal in reshaping industries for the better.

Key takeaways:

- OCP is revolutionizing the Data Centre and Telecommunication industries by promoting open source and open collaboration in hardware.

- TfS is enhancing sustainability in the chemical supply chain through pooled supplier audits, carbon footprint standards, and data sharing among its 45+ members.

- Catena-X is creating a unified data standard across the automotive value chain, ensuring efficiency, sustainability, and innovation.

The event also spotlighted the critical role of academia, with young researchers Felicia Kemmer and Florian Paffrathemphasizing the need for deeper understanding of collective actions to address the grand challenges ahead.

A heartfelt thank you to our distinguished guests Michael Henke, Hervé Legenvre, and representatives (Gabriele Unger, Steve Helvie and Jürgen Schmelting) from TfS, OCP, and Fraunhofer ISS, along with all participants for a truly enriching discussion. Together, we are paving the way towards a more sustainable and collaborative future.

We invite self-nominations for the 2024 IPSERA Doctoral Dissertation Award.

This award emerged as a natural consequence of IPSERA’s dedication to the support of young academics. The award signifies important contributions on phenomena that address PSM issues by a recently graduated PhD. The best doctoral dissertation in the field of Purchasing and Supply Management will be celebrated at the conference, receive a award certificate and a €500 monetary price. In order to be eligible for this award, a dissertation must address a phenomenon that is of importance to the PSM field and have been completed in the calendar year prior to the next IPSERA conference.

All applications will be confidential. Your application will be evaluated by a committee of experienced scholars in the field of PSM.

The application must include: 

• proof that the dissertation was completed in the year prior to the upcoming IPSERA conference;
• max 2-page executive summary describing the research objectives, methods applied, main findings and contribution to PSM theory and practice;
• list of any spin-off publications.

Please submit your application before February 29, 2024.

The award winner will be announced at the 33rd Annual IPSERA Conference in Rio de Janeiro. With questions, please write to network@ipsera.com (Robert Suurmond), the technical chair of the Dissertation Award committee.

IPSERA Team

We would like to invite you to the online IPSERA workshop titled '(Re)-Shaping Supply Chains: A Collective Action Perspective'. As digitalization, decarbonization, circularity, and geopolitical risks are reshaping supply chains, such systemic transformations cannot be orchestrated by firms alone. This workshop aims to explore how collective action occurs.

The workshop is organized by Michael Henke and Hervé Legenvre as a round-table discussion where guest speakers Gabrielle Unger, Boris Otto, Felicia Kemmner and Florian Paffrath share their experiences and reflections on the topic.

Kindly use the link below to register for the workshop as we look forward to engaging with you.

(Re-)Shaping supply chains: a collective action perspective | SIG Workshop

The first IPSERA Africa Initiative Conference convened digitally on September 12, 2023, uniting over 120 enthusiasts from across the African continent, including representatives from South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, and Nigeria and more nations.

Spanning 11 riveting presentations, the conference delved deep into pressing topics in purchasing and supply chain management such as:

-Social and behavioral dynamics in SCM
-Technological advancements in logistics and purchasing
-Sustainability initiatives
-Risk management and resilience strategies

The event was headlined by a keynote speech from Prof. Nat Boso from Ghana, who shared profound insights in a presentation titled, "Co-creating Purchasing and Supply Management Knowledge: Insights from Africa."

Following this, an exceptional session brought together editors from renowned journals in the field including the Journal of Supply Chain Management, Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, and International Journal of Operations and Production Management. Under the moderation of Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim from Egypt, the session spotlighted the unique challenges and prospects facing African scholars, offering guidance on enhancing publishability in these journals.

Special thanks to Ade Oyedijo and Yasmine El-Henawy for organizing this pivotal initiative, and to all the participants who enriched the discussions with their feedback, support, and insights during the presentations.

As we reflect on the enriching insights garnered, we are left with a renewed anticipation for the growth and evolution in Africa's supply chain management landscape.

The Department of Management is looking to recruit a Professor of Operations Management to contribute to our research culture and teaching portfolios. We are inviting applications from candidates with research interests and expertise in operations; supply chain management; sustainability; circular economy and/or digital innovations.

Find all the details here: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CZC623/professor-of-operations-management 

Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands, has a vacancy for a professor of Procurement. The Chair will focus on Procurement and Innovative Networks and will have financial support from Nevi, ie the Dutch Association of Purchasing Management, The Netherlands.

Eindhoven University of Technology has a strong reputation in industrial engineering and innovation and had, in the past, the first academic chair on Purchasing and Supply Management.

Information about the job profile can be found here: Part-time Full Professor In Innovative Networks (0,3 FTE) | Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (tue.nl)

In case of any questions, please, feel free to contact Prof. Van Weele (a.j.vanweele@gmail.com).

The purpose of this special issue on PSM education is to disseminate current research and practice in PSM education and pedagogy. The introduction of an ever-widening array of performance metrics and the increased expectations of students in a post-Covid educational landscape demands more research into how PSM education can be improved. To provide a structured and visible outlet for sharing a wide range of evolving pedagogical and teaching practices in the PSM field, it is hoped that this special issue will stimulate the development of teaching in PSM and provide a platform for future collaborative endeavours within the PSM and overall supply chain management scholarly community.

Download the call for papers

IPSERA Procurement & Innovation Workshop: Exploring Private and Public Sector Crossroads
Friday 16th December 2022 14.00-16.30 CET

We would like to invite you to the Procurement & Innovation Workshop on Friday, 16th December 2022. The workshop is jointly hosted by two of the IPSERA Special Interest Groups: ‘Purchasing and Innovation’ and ‘Strategic Procurement in the Public Domain.

We will discuss procurement and innovation across private and public sector settings with the participation of Louise Knight, Thomas E. Johnsen, Kostas Selviaridis and Asta Salmi. 

You are wholeheartedly invited to join the workshop. You can register here: https://lnkd.in/ekz_yes6

Dear IPSERA Community, save the date! You are cordially invited to the IPSERA Conference 2023 that will be hosted by EADA Business School Barcelona from 2^nd to 5^th April 2023!

The theme of IPSERA 2023 is Systemic Change. Please check all the details on the conference website: www.ipsera2023.com

The Italian Association of Management Engineering (AiIG) and Gianluca Spina Association (AGLS) are pleased to announce a new award for excellence and innovation in teaching in memory of Gianluca Spina, Professor of the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano.

The instructions to participate are available here.

Submissions are to be entered by September 5th, 2022 and sent for the attention of the President of AiIG: presidenza-aiig@polimi.it.

The winning entry will be announced and presented by the winner at the plenary session (where necessary online) of the AiIG Annual Scientific Meeting (October 2022), receiving a prize of € 4,000, co-funded by AiIG and AGLS.