European Supply Chain Day 2026 at E3, Trinity College Dublin

09.15 Opening keynote: Minister Seán Canney, Minister of State at the Department of Transport.

Elected to Galway County Council in 2004, he served as Mayor (2007-2008) and held key roles in planning, development, and transport. As a TD for Galway East since 2016, he has served in multiple ministerial roles, including Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Rural and Community Development, Communications, Climate Action, and currently at the Department of Transport.

He is a passionate advocate for strong communities, digital development, and infrastructure, Seán’s vision for Ireland is one of opportunity, equality, and sustainability for future generations.

09.30-10.15: Presentation: Decarbonising our Transport Networks

Speakers: Prof. Brian Caulfield, Professor in Transportation, Centre for Transport Research, Dept of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin

As part of Logistics Skills Week 2026 and European Supply Chain Day 2026, we are delighted to welcome Prof. Brian Caulfield for a dedicated session titled “Decarbonising Our Transport Networks.” Taking place from 09:30 to 10:15, this presentation will explore the urgent need to reduce emissions across national and international transport systems, the innovations driving sustainable mobility, and the critical role of logistics professionals in shaping a low‑carbon future. Prof. Caulfield will share insights from his extensive research and discuss practical pathways for achieving meaningful decarbonisation across freight, public transport, and emerging mobility solutions. This session is an invaluable opportunity for anyone working in logistics, supply chain management, transport planning, or sustainability to gain expert perspective on the challenges and opportunities ahead.

11.00-11.45: Presentation: Life Cycle Thinking in Engineering Practices: From Supply Chain to Value

Speakers: Dr. John Gallagher, Associate Professor in Environmental Systems Modelling, Dept of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin

As part of Logistics Skills Week 2026 and European Supply Chain Day 2026, we are pleased to host Dr. John Gallagher, Associate Professor in Environmental Systems Modelling at the Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, for a session taking place from 11:00 to 11:45. In this talk, Dr. Gallagher will explore the critical importance of life cycle thinking in engineering practice, highlighting how it can transform a traditional supply chain into a true value chain. He will discuss how life cycle assessment (LCA) and circularity measurement and assessment serve as powerful methods for tracking performance, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and supporting more sustainable and efficient decision‑making. Through examples drawn from the engineering sector, the session will present key facts and figures that reveal where positive changes are already emerging—and where further improvements are needed. Dr. Gallagher will emphasise not only the challenges but also the new opportunities that can arise when organisations adopt a life‑cycle and circularity mindset. This is an essential session for professionals interested in sustainability, engineering, supply chain optimisation, or circular economy strategies.

15.00-16.05: Presentation: From carbon accounting to climate action: Framework towards zero emissions in logistics.

Speakers: Dr. Susana Val is the Deputy Director, Research Institute ZLC and Associate Research Professor.

As part of Logistics Skills Week 2026 and European Supply Chain Day 2026, we are delighted to host a special presentation with Dr. Susana Val titled "From carbon accounting to climate action: Framework towards zero emissions in logistics". This session will introduce the GLEC carbon footprint calculation framework, the foundation upon which ISO 14083 was built. It will then outline the key decarbonisation strategies developed within the European ALICE cluster, which aim to achieve zero‑emission transport and logistics by 2050.   

Dr. Susana Val is Deputy Director, Research Institute ZLC and Associate Research Professor.

She obtained both a PhD and MSc degree in Industrial Engineering at the University of Zaragoza. Her PhD Dissertation was awarded first Prize by CEL (Centro Español de Logística) University in 2008. Furthermore, she studied the Master of Engineering and Logistics at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

Her current research activities focus on improving infrastructures, logistics corridors, best practices, transport policies and urban mobility; as a result she has published book chapters in Springer and also in journals such as Supply Chain management Review, Transportation Planning and technology and International Journal of Procurement Management.

As part of her work, she concentrates on key areas including the decarbonization process and carbon footprint reduction, synchromodality, and the optimization of transport networks. She also focuses on enhancing logistics parks as strategic hubs for supply chain development, strengthening connectivity between ports and their hinterlands, and improving platform interoperability across supply chains.

Throughout her research activity at ZLC, she has led more than 30 research projects, collaborating with companies and entities such as Halliburton, Panalpina, P&G, Beiersdorf, Leo Pharma, SLB, Schindler, BSH, SAICA and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), among others.

15.00-16.05: Presentation: Keeping Ireland Moving: Inside Irish Rail’s Operations and Future Vision

Speakers: Qian Li (Deputy Chief Procurement Officer, Irish Rail)

As part of Logistics Skills Week 2026 and European Supply Chain Day 2026, we are delighted to welcome Qian Li from Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail).

With over 20 years of public procurement experience, Qian holds an EMBA and an Advanced Diploma in Public Procurement Law. She leads sustainable procurement initiatives within Irish Rail and works closely with suppliers to strengthen and improve their sustainability practices across the supply chain. In addition to her professional work, Qian is the founder and chair of the Loveactually Charity.

In this presentation, “Keeping Ireland Moving: Inside Irish Rail’s Operations and Future Vision,” Qian will share insights into the operations that keep Ireland’s rail network running every day, as well as the innovations and sustainability initiatives shaping the future of rail transport.

15.00-16.05: Presentation: Careers in Logistics, Transport, Engineering, & Supply Chain

Speakers: Darragh McCarthy, Director - Supply Chain, Science & Engineering, Morgan McKinley

As part of Logistics Skills Week 2026 and European Supply Chain Day 2026, we are delighted to host a special session titled “Careers in Logistics, Transport, Engineering, & Supply Chain.”

Delivered by Darragh McCarthy of Morgan McKinley, this session will take place on 16 April from 15:00 to 16:00. The presentation will explore the wide range of career opportunities across logistics, transport, engineering, and supply chain management, highlighting the skills in demand and the pathways available for those entering or advancing within these dynamic sectors.

Drawing on extensive industry experience, Darragh will provide insights into current labour market trends, employer expectations, and how professionals and students can position themselves for success in a rapidly evolving industry. This session is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in building or developing a career in logistics, transport, engineering, or supply chain to gain valuable guidance from a leading industry expert. 

09:00–10:00: Presentation: Responsible Re-globalisation – The Restorative Power of Supply Chains

Speaker: Jan Godsell, Dean of Loughborough Business School and Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy, Loughborough University

As part of Logistics Skills Week 2026 and European Supply Chain Day 2026, we are delighted to host a special session titled “Responsible Re-globalisation: The Restorative Power of Supply Chains.”

Delivered by Prof. Jan Godsell, this session will explore how global supply chains are evolving in response to major disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in access to critical resources and highlighted the risks associated with heavily interconnected global systems. In response, some countries, including the United States, have explored strategies aimed at reducing dependence on global supply networks.

However, supply chains are inherently global. This session will examine how organisations and governments can rethink supply chain design more holistically and explore opportunities to responsibly re-globalise, balancing resilience, sustainability, and productivity.

Prof. Godsell is internationally recognised for her work in operations and supply chain strategy. Her research focuses on aligning product, marketing, and supply chain strategies with consumer needs to support responsible consumption and production. In particular, her work explores the design of end-to-end supply chains that enable sustainability, resilience, and innovation.

A chartered engineer with more than three decades of industry experience, Jan has worked with major organisations including ICI, AstraZeneca, and Dyson across areas such as product development, innovation, supply chain strategy, and process improvement.

Prof. Godsell has also advised the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and industry on supply chain resilience and industrial strategy. She currently contributes to several national and global initiatives, including the Made Smarter Innovation challenge, the UK National Manufacturing Forum, and the World Economic Forum Global Futures Council for Advanced Manufacturing and Value Chains.

Recognised as one of the Top 100 Women in Supply Chain by Supply Chain Digital in association with IBM, Prof. Godsell continues to be a leading voice shaping the future of global supply chains.

This session will provide valuable insights for students, professionals, and industry stakeholders interested in the future of supply chains and the role they play in building more resilient, sustainable, and responsible global systems.

12.00-13.00: Presentation: Breaking the Chain Reaction: Using Predictive AI & Sustainable Logistics to Halt the Domino Effect in Global Supply Networks

Speakers: Michael Lynham, Trinity College Dublin

12.00-13.00: Presentation: Future-ready supply chains: designing for 2030 and beyond

Speakers: Dr. John Gottorna, Executive Chairman of Gattorna Alignment.

As part of Logistics Skills Week 2026 and European Supply Chain Day 2026, we are honoured to welcome Dr. John Gattorna for a keynote session taking place on 23 April, from 12:00 to 13:00. In his presentation, “Future-ready supply chains: designing for 2030 and beyond” Dr. Gattorna will explore how organisations can build supply chains that are resilient, adaptive, and strategically aligned to real‑world complexity. Drawing on decades of global research and industry engagement, he will examine the behavioural, operational, and structural levers that enable supply chains not just to survive volatility, but to thrive within it. Attendees will gain insights into designing enterprise‑level supply chain models capable of responding to uncertainty, shifting customer expectations, and rapid market disruption. Dr Gattorna’s session will highlight practical frameworks, real‑world examples, and future‑focused perspectives essential for leaders and professionals navigating increasingly unpredictable environments. This is a must‑attend event for those involved in supply chain strategy, logistics operations, organisational leadership, or transformation planning.

John Gattorna, stands at the forefront of supply chain ‘thought leadership’ in the world today, and his work has influenced many of today’s leading multi-national corporations. He has made it his passion in life to stay at the cutting edge of supply chain design, and his last four books are testament to that, the most recent being Transforming Supply Chains: Realign your business to better serve customers in a disruptive world,  FT Prentice Hall, Harlow, 2020.

His advanced methodologies offer a way of dealing with the ‘new normal’ operating environment, characterised by volatility, and yet more volatility, with no respite in sight.

John’s work has taken on a ‘whole-of-enterprise’ feel and scope, because he steadfastly believes that you can only transform enterprise supply chains if you transform the entire enterprise, hence his multi-disciplinary approach to supply chain design, from ‘outside-in’, using ‘design thinking’ principles.

Apart from researching, consulting, and teaching, John likes to share his best thinking with peers and business associates around the world, and for this reason he organises summits every two or three years – bringing the very best supply chain academics, practitioners, and business executives together for a talk-fest lasting two days, on a strictly ‘by-invitation-only’ basis.

John is Executive Chairman of Gattorna Alignment, a Sydney-based Firm specialising in supply chain ‘thought leadership’. He has held a number of professorships, with the most recent being Adjunct Professor at the University of Technology, Sydney, the SP Jain School of Global Management, and Foundation Professor to CIPS Australia.

He is now one of the most respected supply chain ‘thought leaders’ in the world.

14.00-15.00: Presentation: 21st Century Logistics and Supply Chain Management: a strategic perspective

Speakers: Prof. Edward Sweeney, Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Edinburgh Business School

As part of Logistics Skills Week 2026 and European Supply Chain Day 2026, we are delighted to welcome Prof. Edward Sweeney, Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Edinburgh Business School, for a presentation taking place on Thursday, 23 April, from 14:00 to 15:00. In this session, Prof. Sweeney will explore contemporary logistics and supply chain management (LSCM) through a strategic lens. While traditional approaches have often viewed LSCM primarily as a collection of tools and techniques for reducing operational costs and improving customer service, today’s complex environment demands a far broader perspective. His presentation will focus on how modern supply chains can be leveraged as powerful sources of competitive advantage, rather than simply operational functions. Prof. Sweeney will discuss the proactive development of supply chain capability as a means of addressing the major “mega‑challenges” facing organisations in the 21st century, including sustainability pressures, global volatility, and rapid technological change. Through strategic insights and forward‑looking analysis, this session will offer valuable guidance for professionals seeking to build resilient, high‑performing, and future‑ready supply chains.

Edward Sweeney is Professor of Logistics & Supply Chain Management at Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University. He is also Deputy Executive Dean of the University’s School of Social Sciences. Ed was elected Chair of the Logistics Research Network (LRN) by his peers in 2015. He is a former winner of the “Member of the Year” award of CILT in Ireland and of the CILT(UK) James Cooper Memorial Cup for the best PhD thesis on a supply chain or logistics topic in the UK or Ireland.  He is a graduate from the BAI (First Class Honours) in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering from Trinity College Dublin.

Ed joined Heriot-Watt from Aston University where he was Professor of Logistics & Systems and Director of the Aston Logistics & Systems Institute. He was previously Director of the National Institute for Transport and Logistics (NITL) in Dublin, Ireland. Ed has also held full­-time academic posts at the University of Warwick and the University of Technology, Malaysia (UTM), as well as visiting positions at several institutions in Asia and North America. His research has been widely published and he sits on the editorial boards of several leading international supply chain journals.

Ed has worked in close collaboration with many of the world’s leading companies across various sectors including food and drink, electronics, life sciences and logistics. He has worked in over 70 countries across the world. His current work focusses on the issues of supply chain sustainability and integration in global supply chains, with particular reference to the effective adoption of circularity concepts and systems thinking.

15.30-16.30: Presentation: Resilient supply chains and due diligence: the role of multi-stakeholder governance

Speakers: Dr. Maximilian Schormair, Assistant Professor, Trinity Business School