European Supply Chain Forum (ESCF)

The European Supply Chain Forum (ESCF) connects large multinational companies with research on logistics and supply chains. It was founded in 1996 by academics at Eindhoven University of Technology, starting from a two-day meeting of thirty global players, and it now brings together around 75 multinationals in a long-term partnership with the university.

In the forum, member companies share their problems and solutions in operations and supply chain management, learn from each other, and start joint projects and research. ESCF also develops supply chain talent and lifelong learning. Its current themes include circularity and digital logistics, and its projects range from artificial intelligence for road transport to circular supply chains.

Freight and logistics are part of the mobility transition, and that is where ESCF met NEON. Many of its members work on city logistics and multimodal transport, and on autonomous vehicles and mobility as a service. ESCF was therefore highly interested in NEON's work package on smart mobility hubs, and in particular in its two PhD candidates working on city logistics.

The link is also personal. Tom van Woensel, professor of freight transport and logistics at TU/e, led NEON's work package on smart hubs and mobility as a service and directs ESCF, so research and practice met in the same person.