Meet the Experts Redefining Urban Freight Around the World
On December 15 at 8 AM EST, the MIT Global SCALE Network - hosted by the Luxembourg Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management (LCL) - brings together top researchers and practitioners for a free webinar to explore what’s next for city logistics.
Featuring international experts sharing cutting-edge work on digital tools, operational pilots and policy-driven innovations:
Guest Speakers
Dr. Beatriz Royo
Zaragoza Center for Logistics (ZLC), Spain
Dr. Royo is an Associate Professor at the MIT–Zaragoza International Logistics Program, specializing in transport optimization, decision support systems, and digitalization of supply chains for sustainable logistics networks. Her work focuses on digital transformation in logistics and sustainable city freight solutions. She will present recent developments in digital twins for low emissions last-mile logistics (LEAD project).
Dr. Pascal Wolf
Ningbo China Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (NISCI), China
Dr. Wolff is an Associate Professor at the MIT Global SCALE Network’s Ningbo China Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (NISCI). At NISCI, he has conducted various research projects with partners in the automotive, manufacturing, and logistics industry. In his current research investigates how data-driven technologies can be leveraged to improve supply chain planning and logistics operations. His talk will explore consumer choices of parcel locker usage in Asia Pacific and their impact on last-mile operations.
Dr. Juan Carlos Piña Pardo
MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL), USA
Dr. Piña Pardo is a Research Affiliate at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL) and Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV), former Postdoctoral Associate at MIT CTL, working on various industry-sponsored projects and conducting research at the MIT Megacity Logistics Lab and the MIT Supply Chain Design Lab. He was also a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center of Excellence for Supply Chain Innovation & Transportation at KEDGE Business School (France), working on the Sustainable Operations in Urban Logistics Project, an international research initiative jointly funded by the Dutch Research Council, the French National Research Agency, and the Natural Science Foundation of China, which focused on developing more efficient, sustainable, and human-centered city logistics systems. His current research focuses on designing and optimizing transportation and logistics systems under uncertainty, with an emphasis on urban last-mile logistics. He will present his work on the adoption of microhubs with cargo bikes for last-mile deliveries.
Dr. Laura Palacios-Argüello
Luxembourg Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management (LCL), Luxembourg
Dr. Palacios-Argüello is a research scientist at the Luxembourg Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management (LCL) at the University of Luxembourg. She leads the LCL- City Logistics Freight Lab and is a research affiliate of the MIT Sustainable Supply Chain Lab and the MIT Food and Retail Operations Lab. Most recently, she has been appointed Scientific Project Coordinator of a Horizon Europe project called NEXTLOGIC involving 35 partners including 8 Mission cities (climate-neutral pioneer cities). Her research focuses on freight transportation, urban logistics, distribution network design, food supply chain, and sustainability. Much of her research is practice- and policy-driven, including implementing policy initiatives for sustainable urban freight systems. Her presentation will highlight solutions for curbside management and pilot projects that focus on smart loading zones to improve last-mile deliveries, discussing how to transition from pilot to long-term implementations.
Mr. Patrik Hudec
exe a.s., a NEXTLOGIC Industry Partner
Mr. Hudec, a representative of exe, an IT and systems-integration company, with over 5 years of experience. In his role, he helps businesses unlock their hidden potential through digital transformation, cloud, AI, and Virtual Reality solutions. His presentation will showcase the use of sensors and XR tools for cargo bike parking management and DT for operational training for microhubs, demonstrating how immersive technologies can enhance urban logistics efficiency and safety.