Looking ahead at LogiChem

VIEWS FROM THE TOP

PREVIEW • LOGICHEM DESCRIBES ITSELF AS EUROPE’S ONLY EVENT FOR CHEMICAL SUPPLY CHAIN LEADERS, A CLAIM THAT IS BORN OUT BY ITS EXTENSIVE AND IN-DEPTH AGENDA

In recent years, HCB has found that one of the best places to find out what the chemical logistics sector is thinking about is the annual LogiChem conference. And a look at the agenda for this year’s event, which takes place at De Doelen ICC in Rotterdam from 17 to 19 March, shows that tradition continuing.

Put together with the help of an advisory board comprising representatives from Borealis, Clariant, DuPont, Henkel, Tejin Aramid and the European Chemical Transport Assoociation (ECTA) and with a massive list of speakers primarily drawn from chemical producers, the conference will examine in intense detail the expectations of manufacturers as the chemical supply chain adapts and modernises.

Some of the themes for the three days are familiar enough: supply chain visibility, digitisation, sustainability, agility in supply chains and exploring new ways of working – these have all been covered time and again at conferences and other events in the past few years. What marks LogiChem apart, however, is the fact that these topics – and others – will be addressed and interrogated by very senior executives and decision-makers from chemical suppliers around the globe.

LET’S GET DIGITAL For instance, the opening session – ‘Revolutionising Supply Chain Visibility’ – will kick off with keynote presentations from Sailesh Mishra, global portfolio lead for supply chain and commercial at LyondellBasell, and Robert Nessing, head of global value chain for BASF’s crop protection business, the latter in conversation with Clariant’s head of digital, Sibylle Mutschler. They will look at how supply chain business models can be revamped through the use of digital technologies to support customer demands, improve cross-organisation interoperability and gain a competitive edge. What are the key digital tools that are available? What role should artificial intelligence play? What platforms and standards should producers use? These and other questions will be asked and – hopefully – answered.

Taking a more logistics-based approach, Joep Aerts, business unit director at Den Hartogh Liquid Logistics, will talk about the ‘smart cluster’ approach to achieving a more effective way of working, partly through fostering collaboration between supply chain leaders and through data exchange up and down the supply chain.

A panel discussion will focus on how digital transformation can help break down silos within the organisation to bring supply chain and commercial teams closer together to deliver better performance – and the role of other stakeholders in ensuring that new digital concepts are accepted. All this takes place before the first morning break, after which Dimitri van de Leest, director of global SCM improvement at Arlanxeo, will talk about overcoming the challenges of legacy systems.

BEST FOR EVERYONE One example of the sheer breadth of topics to be covered during the three days of LogiChem comes after lunch on the first day, when the conference breaks into four tracks covering: innovation in forecasting and planning; optimising supply chain logistics; re-igniting customer service; and building excellence in distribution. Each of these tracks has relevance for HCB readers, but perhaps the second is the most topical. Anna Henkel, global transportation procurement lead at Bayer, and Pablo Nosti, head of logistics procurement and operations EMEA at DuPont, will discuss how mergers and acquisitions affect logistics portfolios and how increasing digitisation adds another layer of complexity. Also in this track, Ovinto will look at how

DIGITAL SYSTEMS ARE COMING FAST IN THE CHEMICAL

digitisation can help increase reliability and performance across railfreight and intermodal logistics networks.

Following that, Henkel’s Stephanie Wright will discuss the control tower concept and Trevor Johnson, logistics performance and central operations manager for Shell Lubricants, and Tim van der Zon, sales director at Transporeon, will talk about making the move towards a ‘digital-first’ supply chain and how this can increase visibility and reliability.

Delegates can still not head to the bar yet, though: there is a final session on the first day entitled ‘Creating a Data-First Mindset’, with case studies from Henkel and EY and a panel discussion on how businesses and supply chain leaders can use critical data to create a new vision for the end-to-end value chain. The panel will look at key strategies in implementing and scaling data-driven initiatives to empower organisations with actionable insights that support decision making and provide greater visibility right across the supply chain.

With all this happening on the first day, delegates will certainly have earned the networking drinks reception that will wrap things up.

DON’T SLEEP IN But delegates cannot take the reception too seriously: they need to be up bright and early for a ‘Breakfast Boardroom’ session on diversity in supply chain leadership and across the chemical industry, with observations from Solvay, Syngenta, Henkel and Chemours.

The second day’s conference proper will start with a keynote presentation and a panel discussion on how to succeed in customercentricity. How is the ‘Amazon effect’ pushing new initiatives, and how can companies best exploit new digital technologies to drive customer-centricity?

Talk will then move on to sustainability, with a keynote case study from Mike Hollands, head of global supply, HSE and quality at Syngenta, on how his company plans to reduce the carbon intensity of its operations by at least 50 per cent by 2030. Later, John Gould, head of logistics at the Qatar Free Zones Authority, will talk about how Qatar is integrating Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies to enhance sustainability in the field of chemical logistics. Petra Inghelbrecht, global sustainability manager for Ineos Styrolution Europe, will speak about the successful integration of lifecycle analysis into the supply chain, and Steven de Boer and Steven Bedegenoots of Sabic will chat about the key people, processes and technologies that need to be implemented to achieve sustainability goals.

After lunch the conference will once again split into four tracks: data-driven supply chains; global distribution networks; responding to a new customer mindset; and interactive workshops run by event sponsors. Coming back together, delegates will be presented with a case study from Freek van den Broek, global business insights success manager at DSM’s Data Analytics Center of Excellence, on how chemical supply chain leaders can fastforward the integration of advances analytics as an enabler in their supply chains, followed by speakers from Siemens Digital Logistics and GE Aviation Digital.

The organisers will keep delegates going full-on right through to the end of day three, with sessions on building agile supply chains, exploring new ways of working, and future-focused supply chains. With so much on offer – and we have not even mentioned the exhibition area alongside the conference room – companies with an interest in the business are advised to send as many people as they can if they want to cover it all.

HCB will report back with the best we can gather but, given the multiple parallel sessions, it will be impossible to cover it all. Readers are advised to attend in person if they want to get all the relevant information out of this year’s LogiChem.

Full details about the event and the registration process can be found on the internet at https://logichem.wbresearch.com/.

LOGICHEM MOVES THIS YEAR TO A BIGGER VENUE IN

ROTTERDAM, HIGHLIGHTING ITS ROLE AS THE PRE-

EMINENT MEETING POINT FOR LOGISTICS PROFESSIONALS

IN THE CHEMICAL MANUFACTURING SECTOR