AI is revolutionizing supplier negotiations, driven by the need for speed, scalability, and strategic agility in complex supply chains. Initially used for automating low-value tasks, AI can now play a crucial role in a growing number of key procurement decisions.
Loughborough University, which hosts the UK SCALE Centre through a partnership with the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics, won a significant award in higher education.
Despite advances, developing workplace systems that facilitate AI-human working relationships is still in its early stages. Companies need to invest in systems that enable robots and humans to assume more sophisticated roles gradually.
By Ken Cottrill, editorial director, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics
Cambridge, MA —The MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (CTL) mourns the passing of Frederick Smith, founder and executive chair of FedEx, and honors his enduring legacy as a pioneer of innovation in global logistics and a valued friend to the CTL community.
MIT CTL Research Scientists Drs. Inma Borrella and Maria Jesus Saenz, in collaboration with Dr. Elena Revilla, wrote a case study which has been recognized as the top-selling case in Operations Management at Ivey Publishing for 2024/2025. The case study, "Dell: Roadmap of a Digital Supply Chain Transformation," examines a real-world digital supply chain transformation, offering insights into how leading companies are leveraging technology to build more resilient and responsive operations.
How will generative AI aid supply chain practitioners to navigate threats and eliminate risk? MIT Technology Review featured MIT CTL Director of Research Matthias Winkenbach in an article about supply chain resilience in the age of generative AI.
New technologies and approaches are paving the way to more efficient use of AI systems.
By Ken Cottrill, editorial director, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics, published in Supply Chain Management Review May/June 2025
The advent of AI as a widely available business tool has given rise to numerous applications that are proliferating at a dizzying pace. As we strive to stay current with the latest applications, it’s essential not to overlook the ongoing efforts to enhance existing ones.
Cambridge, MA – The MIT Supply Chain Management Master’s Program has recognized thirty-four exceptional students from nine renowned undergraduate programs specializing in supply chain management and engineering across the United States.
Cambridge, MA – The AWESOME award represents a significant commitment by the MIT Supply Chain Management Master’s Program, the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics, and AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management, and Education) to encourage students to prepare for and perform successfully in supply chain leadership roles. This fellowship was awarded to two students each year: one from the residential cohort and one from the blended.
By Matt Villano for Business Insider
MIT CTL’s first-ever Emerging Research Showcase brought together early-career researchers and industry leaders at the MIT Museum on March 19, 2025. Organized by Drs. Miguel Rodríguez García and Selene Silvestri, the event served as a platform for researchers to share their work, receive feedback, and foster collaboration between researchers and industry.
The showcase featured a series of compelling presentations tackling inefficiencies, technological advancements, and future challenges in supply chain networks. Presentations included the following:
Five years after the Covid-19 pandemic began, and several years after the global outbreak has been brought under control, it might be tempting for supply chain leaders to pay less attention to supply disruption and uncertainty. But this is no time to let one’s guard down. While companies typically keep risks like natural disasters, supplier disruptions, and geopolitical conflicts on their radar, there is much more to think about now. Unprecedented volatility in U.S.
Dr. Eva Ponce and Laura Allegue write in Supply Chain Xchange that as retailers increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) to create customized shopping experiences, supply chains are under pressure to improve product availability, visibility, and inventory accuracy.
By Maria Jesús Saénz, Executive Director, MIT SCM Masters Program; Leonard Morrison, Manager, Professional Development MIT SCM Masters Program; and Ken Cottrill, Global Communications Consultant, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics
Chinese New Year and its Impact on Global Supply Chain
Dr. Jay Guo | MIT Global SCALE Network's Ningbo China Institute for Supply Chain Innovation
January 28, 2025
How Boston Is Poised to Become the Nation’s Leading Longevity Hub
Getting older? You’re in the right place.
The second Global Sustainability Supply Chain Student Competition, held from September to December 2024, attracted 84 teams from 20 countries and regions to tackle some of the most pressing sustainability challenges in global supply chains. Among many exceptional teams, Team Syncelior from the Ningbo China Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (NISCI) stood out, securing third place in the Asia-Pacific region.
With thousands of houses destroyed by fire, the most populous county in the United States must confront the fraught logistics of rebuilding.
In an article for MIT News, AgeLab Research Associate Adam Felts writes about Dr. Joe Coughlin and Luke Yoquinto's latest book, Longevity Hubs, Regional Innovation for Global Aging.
Research scientist will provide recommendations to the FAA focused on the most significant human factor risks to aviation safety.
On December 11 and 12, 2024, public and private sector stakeholders from the U.S. South and Midwest gathered with the MIT Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab to discuss the challenges of responding to fuel supply chain disruptions during natural disasters. The Fuel Supply Chain Roundtable reflected on lessons learned from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and framed concepts that could be developed into a “Fuel Response Playbook” for future disasters.
The MIT Global Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence (MIT SCALE) Network has once again been ranked as the world’s top master’s program for supply chain and logistics management by Eduniversal’s 2024/2025 Best Masters Rankings. This recognition marks the eighth consecutive #1 ranking since 2016, reaffirming MIT’s unparalleled leadership in supply chain education, research, and practice.
Eighth Consecutive Top Spot Reflects Global Excellence in Education and Research