Cutting Edge New Research Centre Heralded as Major Driver for Economic Success

World-renowned marketing guru Professor Martin Christopher today gave his seal of approval to a new development at the University of Hull.

The university is establishing a Logistics Institute for the study and analysis of manufacturing processes – an investment worth £15m – in a bid to establish the region as a European centre of excellence in port logistics and supply chain management.

Professor Christopher, who is a leading figure in this field, is to be guest speaker at a forthcoming Chartered Management Institute event being organised in association with the university.

At the event – which is to take place in the Lindsey Suite in Staff House at the university’s Cottingham Road campus in Hull at 6pm on Wednesday, 23 March – he will talk about logistics and supply chain management.

Supported by Yorkshire Forward, Humber Trade Zone, Humber Forum and the European Regional Development Fund, the new Logistics Institute will add value to industry through new innovations which could help organisations improve efficiency in the supply, production and transportation of their products.

As well as conducting academic research in the field, experts working within the new facility – part of the dramatic redevelopment of the university’s Business School – will offer consultancy support to businesses, helping them improve their efficiency and, therefore, profitability.

Leaders of the Business School hope that it will boost significantly the ongoing economic regeneration of the Yorkshire and the Humber sub-region, as well as raising the profile of the university, and the city of Hull, on the national and international stage.

Professor Christopher added that’ in today’s highly connected and interdependent global economy, logistics and supply chain management has become the back-bone that supports corporate and national economic growth.

‘The importance of infra-structure is self-evident but beyond this is the need for organisations to recognise that the need for high-level co-ordination of the ‘end-to-end pipeline’ – from suppliers to end users – has to be a key priority’.

It is clear that the twenty-first century business faces many challenges, and increasing competition in the marketplace increases the pressure on organisations to streamline activity to gain competitive advantage. Effective marketing, logistics and supply chain management are the key to success, and in this lecture Professor Christopher will argue that superior logistics and supply chain management is the real engine for corporate, regional and national economic growth.

Logistics is definitely emerging as a key theme of the region’s economic development. Whatever the size of business, logistics is always at the forefront of business development and can have a direct impact on financial success. With a large population of small to medium sized businesses in the region, Hull recognises the importance of effective logistics support and training and organisations like Humber Trade Zone are working hard to market the Humber both inside and outside the UK.

The Business School is a keen supporter of economic growth and success in the region and are currently investing over £8.7million to improve business education through the provision of new facilities. A mix of new build and redevelopment, the school will move into its new premises in summer this year. Facilities will include a new 500 seat lecture theatre, state of the art teaching and seminar rooms with wireless technology, and a fully equipped Management Learning Laboratory. Professor Mike Jackson, Dean of the Business School states ‘these new developments will transform the staff, student and visitor experience, consolidate the school’s reputation as one of the leading business schools in the UK and raise the standard of business education in this area’