Building a resilient future through research, impact, and collaboration

A central highlight of the day was the panel on research and impact, which brought together senior industry leaders and academic colleagues to reflect on pathways to impact and engagement beyond academia. The panel included Cyril Pourrat, CEO of BT Sourced, and Steve Spall, Chair of the Board of Directors at Central Hall Venues, alongside LOM colleagues John Gosling and Maneesh Kumar. The discussion offered valuable industry perspectives on how research can inform organisational practice, strategic decision-making, and policy, and how closer collaboration between academia and industry can support more responsible and resilient organisations.

The afternoon sessions were dedicated to PhD research presentations, providing an important platform for doctoral researchers to present their work and receive constructive feedback from the wider LOM community. The PhD sessions addressed diverse and timely themes, including behavioural responses to modern slavery, unintended consequences in sustainable supply chain management, forecasting for public health supply chains, supply chain resilience under uncertainty, adaptive learning systems, and federated data governance. These sessions highlighted both the quality and ambition of doctoral research within the section.

The collective leadership ensured a well-balanced and inclusive programme that reflected the section’s strategic priorities across research excellence, PhD development, and external engagement. The organising team’s efforts contributed to a collegial and intellectually stimulating event that strengthened connections across the section.

The conference concluded with reflections on the day’s discussions and a shared sense of momentum for continued collaboration across research, and impact activities.