Cardiff Business School lands historic double victory at prestigious logistics research conference
18 September 2026
Two Cardiff Business School graduates claimed both the MSc and PhD dissertation awards at the Logistics Research Network (LRN) 2026 conference in an unprecedented sweep.
Rosie Cullen Targett and Dr Ruikai Sun, both Logistics and Operations Management (LOM) Section graduates at Cardiff University, collected their prizes in a first in the LRN’s 30-year history, the first time a single university has won top honours in the same year.
Rosie was presented with Best MSc Dissertation for her impactful thesis Renewable Energy in UK Ports: Systemic Barriers, Enabling Factors and Decarbonsation Strategies, supervised by maritime logistics and transport expert, Dr Sehwa Lim.
Meanwhile, Dr Sun scooped the James Cooper Cup for Best PhD Dissertation for his outstanding research Modelling And Estimation Of In-port Ship Emissions: A Scalable Multi-Stage Data-Driven Framework.
His work, supervised by Professor Andrew Potter, Professor Emrah Demir, and Dr Wessam Abouarghoub, already generating 3 high-quality papers, including a publication in Transportation Research Part A - Policy and Practice.
Head of Cardiff Business School Professor Deborah Hann said, "This is a remarkable achievement and a hugely proud moment for Cardiff Business School. The double win by the Logistics and Operations Management Department is the first in the conference’s 30-year history that one university has achieved.
This achievement reflects the exceptional research and supervision community we have within at Cardiff. Our aim is not simply to produce excellent research, but to develop people who can use that research to tackle important real-world challenges.
“Rosie and Ruikai’s work is a wonderful example of that, and I’m delighted to see them, their supervisors and the whole LOM community receiving this recognition.”
Dr Sehwa Lim added, “I’m absolutely delighted to see Rosie's work recognised with this award. Her research addressed a highly timely and important challenge for the UK port sector, offering useful insights into the transition towards decarbonisation through renewable energy adoption.
Rosie showed great commitment and independence throughout the project. It was a genuine pleasure to supervisor her, and I’m very proud to see her hard work recognised in this way.
The LOM Section comprises around 30 leading academics in one of the largest and most forward-thinking academic groups of its kind in the United Kingdom.
It aims to nurture the next generation of logistics and operations management leaders.
The CILT's Logistics Research Network (LRN) Forum provides a platform for the generation and transfer of best-in-kind applied knowledge and innovation around current logistics and supply chain megatrends and industry practices.
The annual LRN conference aims to create an ideal setting for researchers, practitioners and policy makers to share their latest research, industry innovation and long-range policy planning.
LRN 2026 marked the 30th anniversary of the Forum.
Find more out more about the best-in-class research generated by the Logistics and Operations Management (LOM) and its world leading programmes at Cardiff University.
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Professor Vasco Sanchez Rodrigues
Head of the Logistics and Operations Management SectionProfessor in Sustainable Supply Chain Management
