Turkish Cargo

Turkish Cargo awarded the ‘Best Air Cargo Brand’ in Europe for Sustainability

Temperature-sensitive cargo is transported by environmentally friendly methods

Turkish Cargo was recently crowned for the ecological policies that are being implemented within the framework of its activities worldwide with an award, the carrier announced in a press communique.

The air cargo carrier was selected as the best air cargo brand in Europe and deemed worthy of the ‘Sustainable Cargo Airline of the Year 2022: EUROPE’ at the Freightweek Sustainability Awards 2022.

The annual Freightweek Sustainability Awards programme incorporates categories that cover the top-ranking air cargo brands, airports, handling companies, container and ULD vendors in respect of sustainability, as well as all stakeholders of the air cargo operations such as air cargo technologies, drone technologies, storage services.

With innovative approaches, we aim to deliver effective solutions to our customers and industry partners. Within this scope, Turkish Cargo has recently inaugurated its new hub, SMARTIST, at Istanbul Airport. This new facility is a major example of the brand’s commitment to offer high-end services, enhanced with smart technologies and digitalization to shape the future of the global air cargo business,” stated Turhan Ozen, Chief Cargo Officer, Turkish Airlines.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology

Thanks to the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology that enhances the business quality and enables the employees to focus on the processes with a higher added value, Turkish Cargo maintains its journey to the future more robustly by making use of the software robots in its business processes, the press statement continued.

The software robots, called as metalcollar, can execute the business processes which are routine, manually performed and repetitive, on 7/24 basis, and act in harmony with the white-collar employees. Thus, enhanced business processes are being conducted in terms of quality, speed, productivity, and digitalization.

Working in partnership with leading active and passive container suppliers in the industry, Turkish Cargo has made the choice of environmentally friendly containers for the transport of the temperature-sensitive cargo.

Such containers, some of which are operated by being charged and some of which are equipped with dedicated cooling plates, also allow for re-use. Thanks to such containers, temperature-sensitive cargo is shipped without carbon emission and within the desired temperature range from the point of origin to the destination in an environment friendly way.

Turhan Ozen, Chief Cargo Officer, Turkish Airlines.

GCC Plastic industry advances on Circular Economy

Challenges persist, agree speakers at Riyadh GPCA Conference

The development of ‘circular’ polymers with recycled plastic content, investing in advanced recycling facilities as well as the announcement of key regional initiatives focused on sustainability demonstrate significant progress by the GCC polymer industry and the region’s leadership to adopt the circular economy.

However, more work lies ahead, said speakers at the recently concluded 11th Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Plastics Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia under the theme of ‘Plastics Reimagined: A Circular Future Awaits’.

A recent GPCA report, entitled ‘The Plastic Conversion Opportunity in the GCC: Moulding a Sustainable Future ‘Towards a Plastics Circular Economy’ and released at the GPCA Plastics Conference, has identified challenges such as an uncompetitive recycled plastics market, inadequate knowledge about the circular economy, high investment requirements and the high cost of products made in a circular economy model as barriers to further progress.

The report goes on to highlight unfavorable regulations, the complex international supply chain of the plastics industry as well as a lack of collaboration between stakeholders as obstacles to achieving a circular economy in the region.

Circular economy

The circular economy presents an enormous opportunity, with the World Economic Forum predicting that it will yield up to USD 4.5 trillion in economic benefits in the years to 2030. On a regional level, transforming the current linear model to a more circular approach can help drive progress on the Middle East Green initiative, the GCC governments’ national visions and enable regional signatories to meet their commitments to the Paris Agreement, while lowering emissions.

According to speakers at the twoday event, less than 10% of the plastics produced globally are ever recycled due to the diversity and variability of plastics waste, contamination, gaps in the existing infrastructure, and new demands of advanced recycling. An effective strategic response must be designed to address these issues and prevent over US$ 120bn from being lost through plastic waste annually, experts said.

Nadia Al Hajji, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Projects and Business Development, PIC, and Vice–Chair, GPCA Plastics Committee, welcomed delegates, highlighting the importance of value chain collaboration to address the challenges facing the industry. Chemical recycling also came under the spotlight in the keynote address by Tim Stedman, CEO, Agilyx.

On day one delegates heard from esteemed industry leaders including Naser Aldousari, CEO, EQUATE, and Chair of the GPCA Plastics Committee, who delivered the welcome address;

GPCA Riyadh-Welcome address by Naser Aldousari, CEO, EQUATE, and Chair of the GPCA Plastics Committee.

Mutlaq Al-Morished, CEO, TASNEE; Marwan Frem, President, Napco National; and Eng. Bodour Mohammed Al-Meer, Sustainability Director, Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar.

Recycling

“The industry must promote recycling and the reuse of plastic products, which according to the WEF can extend the life of at least 20% of all plastic products. Greater collaboration, investing in research and innovation and adopting a life cycle approach will also be needed to enact change in the plastics circular economy in the region,” stated Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA.

The GPCA Plastics Conference was held for the first time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and attracted a record number of 425 delegates from more than 116 companies in the Arabian Gulf region and globally.

Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA.

Mutlaq Al-Morished, CEO, TASNEE.

GPCA welcomes EU’s strategic partnership with GCC and member states

The European Union has unveiled a new, strategic partnership to strengthen block’s cooperation with GCC

The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) recently welcomed the European Union’s announcement to adopt a strategic partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its member states in the areas of energy security and trade.

The joint communication, unveiled by the EU further addresses a series of key policy areas and presents concrete proposals to strengthen EU-GCC cooperation on the green transition, climate change, trade, economic diversification, regional stability and global security, among others.

GPCA welcomes the opportunity for closer cooperation between the GCC states and the EU as it would not only provide significant socio-economic benefits for the people and consumers of both regions, but it would also advance their efforts to solve key sustainability challenges, innovate fresh solutions and develop local human capital.

The announcement aligns closely with GPCA’s position on strengthening bilateral trade with Europe by removing trade barriers and tariffs. After Asia, Western Europe is the GCC’s second largest export partner for chemicals and petrochemicals, with 6.7 million tons exported in 2020.

Since its inception in 2006, GPCA has consistently advocated for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two regions. The GCC is currently signatory to an FTA with the European Free Trade Area (EFTA), comprising Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, but a wider FTA with the EU is yet to be reached.

In the current landscape, geopolitical crises, energy supply challenges and increased trade tensions continue to underline the importance of forming strategic partnerships with a reliable, long-term partner. GPCA believes that an FTA, whether general or sectoral, would help to maximize potential economic and trade benefits to both regions.

“The GCC region with its vast natural reserves, both hydrocarbon and renewable, combined with the EU’s human capital and knowhow, amassed over decades of science and development, will result in a stronger and more resilient relationship between the two economic areas,” concluded Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA.

Taking Supply Chain performance to new levels

Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all business areas, resulting in revolutionizing changes in how businesses operate and deliver value to their customers, asserts Rodrigo Campos, Chief Operating Officer, Hyke, in this special contribution.

Digital transformation is pivotal to supply chain success in the modern business landscape. By driving changes across operations, back-office productivity, sales and customer service, digitalization can help businesses stay abreast with the ever-changing requirements of the marketplace.

However, simply implementing new technologies is not enough. To really reap the benefits of digital transformation, it is necessary to have complete visibility across the entire supply chain.

This allows for greater optimization and utilization of resources throughout the chain, leading to improved performance overall. Thus, you can take your supply chain performance to new levels by embracing digital transformation.

In the context of the supply chain, digital transformation can be used to achieve several objectives, including reducing costs, improving efficiencies, and increasing transparency. By digitizing supply chain processes and data, businesses can gain greater visibility into their operations, identify areas of improvement, and make real-time adjustments to optimize performance.

Pivot

Digital transformation is pivotal to taking supply chain performance to new levels. By embracing digitalization, businesses can overcome various challenges associated with traditional supply chains, such as volatility and lack of transparency.

R&D also plays a critical role in digital transformation, as it can help businesses improve the maintenance of their digital systems and leverage data more effectively. Digital transformation can also help enterprises achieve sustainable supply chains by reducing waste and promoting efficiency. Sustainability is also a key consideration in today’s business world.

Right Approach

The right approach for you will vary depending on your business’s specific goals and needs. There are a few essential elements that all successful digital transformations have in common: a clear understanding of the available technologies and how they can be applied to achieve desired outcomes.

These include a robust supply chain strategy that considers the ever-changing business and technology landscape; and a commitment to continuously improving processes and data management practices to drive lasting competitive advantage.

Digital transformation is revolutionizing the supply chain. By automating processes and adopting new technologies, businesses can reduce costs, improve efficiency and be more responsive to changes in demand.

Rodrigo Campos, COO, Hyke

Rodrigo Campos is a seasoned professional with 20+ years of experience working across different geographies and leading multicultural teams.

Rodrigo has been instrumental in building Hyke from the ground up, as the first B2B e-commerce platform of its kind in the region, right from setting the strategy together with the CEO and the validation of the first MVP, to hiring outstanding talent and going to market in record time.

Rodrigo currently pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration at IE Business School.

Supply Chain digitalization

The key to successful digitalization of the supply chain is an in-depth understanding of available technologies and how they can be effectively applied throughout the value chain. For instance, Hyke uses an advanced technology powered by AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics, and is complemented by a robust supply chain for faster first mile as well as last mile services.

Businesses can generate a significant financial return and lasting competitive advantage by blending the right combination of people, processes, and data. Digital transformation is a continuous journey for your business, and not a destination.

Like any journey, there are challenges that must be overcome along the way. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, those that embrace digital solutions will be best placed to succeed.

(Hyke is a digital platform that connects suppliers with retailers and provides the technology, supply chain infrastructure, financial capabilities, and market reach to help them engage and run their business seamlessly and efficiently—Editor)