{"id":996,"date":"2024-03-06T14:29:22","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T12:29:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/?p=996"},"modified":"2024-05-31T11:08:32","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T08:08:32","slug":"karen-spens-logy-logistician-of-the-year-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/2024\/03\/06\/karen-spens-logy-logistician-of-the-year-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Karen Spens: LOGY Logistician of the Year 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>LOGY Conference, joka j\u00e4rjestet\u00e4\u00e4n vuosittain Suomen Osto- ja Logistiikkayhdistyksen (LOGY) toimesta, on eritt\u00e4in odotettu kansainv\u00e4linen tapahtuma, joka tarjoaa korvaamatonta tietoa ammattilaisille eri aloilta, kuten liiketoiminnan johto, toimitusketjujen hallinta, hankinta, intralogistiikka, materiaalink\u00e4sittely, kuljetus ja logistiikka.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Noin 500 osallistujallaan LOGY Conference toimii huippufoorumina verkostoitumiselle ja tiedonvaihdolle, houkutellen osallistujia johto- ja johtoteht\u00e4vist\u00e4, jotka kattavat yli 75% osallistujista. Se tarjoaa foorumin pysy\u00e4 ajan tasalla nykyisist\u00e4 teollisuuden trendeist\u00e4, osallistua muiden ammattilaisten kanssa sek\u00e4 vuorovaikuttaa ajattelijoiden ja trendienasettajien kanssa alalla.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>T\u00e4n\u00e4 vuonna tapahtuma pidettiin 8. ja 9. helmikuuta Helsingiss\u00e4 ja Tallinnassa. Ensimm\u00e4inen seminaariosa, joka j\u00e4rjestettiin Pikku Finlandia -tapahtumakeskuksessa Helsingiss\u00e4 8. helmikuuta, k\u00e4sitteli aiheita kuten kilpailukyky, toimitusketjujen hallinta ja logistiikkapalvelujen kehitt\u00e4minen. T\u00e4m\u00e4n j\u00e4lkeen tapahtuma jatkui risteilyll\u00e4 Tallinnaan, Viroon, miss\u00e4 osallistujilla oli mahdollisuus verkostoitua y\u00f6pyess\u00e4\u00e4n Nordic Forum Hotelissa tai osallistumalla LOGY Conference Contact Forum -tapahtumaan seuraavana p\u00e4iv\u00e4n\u00e4.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>LOGY Conference sis\u00e4lsi my\u00f6s erityisen kohokohdan: Dr. Karen Spens julistettiin vuoden 2023 logistikoksi vuosittaisessa LOGY Conference -tapahtumassa Helsingiss\u00e4.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\/*! elementor &#8211; v3.11.5 &#8211; 14-03-2023 *\/<br \/>\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=&#8221;.svg&#8221;]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/03\/1707718569990-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Karen Spens receiving Logistician of the Year 2023 award from Anna Aminoff and Jyri Vilko.\" \/><figcaption>Karen Spens receiving Logistician of the Year 2023 award from Anna Aminoff and Jyri Vilko.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Karen Spens tunnetaan merkitt\u00e4vist\u00e4 panoksistaan logistiikan tutkimusyhteis\u00f6\u00f6n Suomessa sek\u00e4 omistautumisestaan humanitaarisen logistiikan tutkimuksen ja koulutuksen edist\u00e4miseen. H\u00e4nen tutkimuksensa keskittyy p\u00e4\u00e4asiassa humanitaariseen logistiikkaan, mik\u00e4 on johtanut useiden kirjojen julkaisemiseen ja Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management -lehden sek\u00e4 Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Research Institute (HUMLOG Institute) -instituutin perustamiseen. Nyky\u00e4\u00e4n HUMLOG-instituutti on yksi johtavista tutkimuslaitoksista humanitaarisen logistiikan alalla, ja se tekee laajaa yhteisty\u00f6t\u00e4 teollisuuskumppaneiden, kansalaisj\u00e4rjest\u00f6jen ja yliopistojen kanssa.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Useiden suurten tutkimusapurahojen avulla humanitaarisen logistiikan ala on sittemmin saanut merkityst\u00e4 laajemmassa logistiikan alalla. Dr. Spens on toiminut monien kirjojen, kirjan lukujen ja artikkeleiden yhteisty\u00f6kumppanina useissa lehdiss\u00e4, mukaan lukien logistiikkaa ja siihen liittyvi\u00e4 aloja, kuten katastrofitutkimuksia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>H\u00e4n on my\u00f6s toiminut International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management -lehden toimittajana sek\u00e4 monien merkitt\u00e4vien logistiikkajulkaisujen toimitusneuvostoissa. Dr. Spens on edist\u00e4nyt humanitaarisen logistiikan tutkimusta ja yhteisty\u00f6t\u00e4 vierailevan tutkijan rooleissa BI:ss\u00e4 (Norja), MIT:ss\u00e4 (USA), Clark Universityss\u00e4 (USA) ja Griffith Universityss\u00e4 (Australia). Lis\u00e4ksi h\u00e4n on ollut mukana lanseeraamassa Business Lead -ohjelmaa, joka on tarkoitettu korkeasti koulutettujen maahanmuuttajien ja pakolaisten integroimiseen suomalaiseen liiketoimintakulttuuriin. Ohjelman menestyst\u00e4, joka on palkittu kansainv\u00e4lisill\u00e4 palkinnoilla, kuten EFMD Excellence in Practice (EiP) -kultamitalilla, esitteli Dr. Spens Maailman talousfoorumissa (WEF) Davosissa vuonna 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Karen Spens suoritti tohtorin tutkinnon liiketoimintataloudesta Hankenin kauppakorkeakoulussa vuonna 2001. H\u00e4n toimi Hankenin koulutusdekaanina vuosina 2010\u20132015, valvoen oppimisen vakuuttamisprosessin kehitt\u00e4mist\u00e4, joka t\u00e4ht\u00e4\u00e4 opiskelijoiden oppimistulosten parantamiseen. Lis\u00e4ksi h\u00e4n toimi Hankenin kauppakorkeakoulussa toimitusketjujen hallinnan ja yritysmaantieteen professorina. Syksyst\u00e4 2022 l\u00e4htien h\u00e4n on toiminut presidenttin\u00e4 BI Norwegian Business Schoolissa.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Vuoden 2023 logistikoksi nimetyn Karen Spensin palkinnon luovuttivat LOGYn palkintokomitean puheenjohtaja Anna Aminoff ja LOGYn hallituksen puheenjohtaja Jyri Vilko.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Spens piti seuraavan puheen saadessaan vuoden 2023 logistiikkopalkinnon LOGYn vuotuisessa konferenssissa:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHyv\u00e4t naiset ja herrat, arvoisat seminaarivieraat,\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Vuonna 2004 tsunami iski Kaakkois-aasiassa ja t\u00e4n\u00e4 vuonna on siis 20 vuotta t\u00e4st\u00e4 suurkatastrofista. T\u00e4m\u00e4 tapahtuma on viel\u00e4kin monien suomalaisten sek\u00e4 monien muiden maiden kansalaisten mieless\u00e4, se oli j\u00e4rkytt\u00e4v\u00e4 ja monella tapaa niin monia koskettava tapahtuma. Vuonna 2006 kollegaani kurkisti ovestani Hankenilla ja kysyi minulta ett\u00e4 mist\u00e4 haluaisin kirjoittaa seuraavaan NOFOMA konferenssiin. NOFOMA on suurin Pohjoismaiden logistiikan alan tutkijoiden konferenssi joka sin\u00e4 vuonna j\u00e4rjestettiin BI kauppakorkeakoulussa Norjassa. Sanoin kolleegalleni ett\u00e4 haluaisin kirjoittaa jostakin josta ei tiedet\u00e4 jurikaan mit\u00e4\u00e4n, ja niin h\u00e4n kysyikin minulta, oletko kuullut humanitaarisesta logistiikasta? Ja vastasin ett\u00e4 en tied\u00e4 siit\u00e4 yht\u00e4\u00e4n mit\u00e4\u00e4n.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>N\u00e4in ollen p\u00e4\u00e4timme kirjoittaa humanitaarisesta logistiikasta artikkelin. Siihen aikaan ei todellakaan ollut montaa artikkelia kirjoitettu, l\u00f6ysimme ainoastaan pienen m\u00e4\u00e4r\u00e4n joissa sanaa oli k\u00e4ytetty. P\u00e4\u00e4timme siis kirjoittaa siit\u00e4 ja n\u00e4in sai , sittemmin 2007 julkaisema ensimm\u00e4inen artikkelimme <em>Humanitarian logistics in disaster relief operations<\/em> alkunsa. Artikkelissa kerroimme siit\u00e4 mit\u00e4 tsunamin aikana tapahtui, tai ehk\u00e4 eniten siit\u00e4 mit\u00e4 ei tapahtunut, ja miksi niin monessa asiassa ep\u00e4onnistuttiin logistisesti.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sek\u00e4 NOFOma paperi ett\u00e4 esityksemme ker\u00e4si paljon huomiota ja artikkeli voittikin parhaan paperin palkinnon konferensissa. Kaikkein parasta antia konferenssin j\u00e4lkeen oli kuitenkin se ett\u00e4 t\u00e4m\u00e4 oli l\u00e4ht\u00f6laukaus yhteisty\u00f6h\u00f6n monien eri toimijoiden kanssa, sek\u00e4 kansainv\u00e4linen punainen risti ett\u00e4 UNICEF l\u00e4htiv\u00e4t nopeasti mukaan yhteisty\u00f6h\u00f6n koska heill\u00e4 oli suuri tarve saada tutkimustietoa siit\u00e4 miten voitaisiin koordinoida paremmin ty\u00f6t\u00e4 kent\u00e4ll\u00e4 jotta k\u00e4ytett\u00e4isiin v\u00e4hemm\u00e4n rahaa logistiikkaan ja n\u00e4in ollen enemm\u00e4n rahaa k\u00e4rsivien ihmisten auttamiseen.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>T\u00e4m\u00e4 ajatus onkin sittemmin ollut johtot\u00e4hti humanitaarisen logistiikan saralla, miten voimme k\u00e4ytt\u00e4\u00e4 parhaiten hyv\u00e4ksi niit\u00e4 keinoja ja menetelmi\u00e4 joita l\u00f6ytyy jotta pystyt\u00e4\u00e4n k\u00e4ytt\u00e4m\u00e4\u00e4n rahaa ja muita resursseja parhaimmalla mahdollisella tavalla avustusty\u00f6h\u00f6n. Sittemmin Yhteisty\u00f6 kansainv\u00e4listen toimijoiden kanssa tiivistyi ja vuonna 2008 perustimme humanitaarisen logistiikan instituutin kauppakkorkeakoulu Hankenille, yhteisty\u00f6ss\u00e4 Maanpuolustuskorkeakoulun kanssa. Projektien kautta, joista monet kansainv\u00e4lisi\u00e4, saimme tunnustusta ja kohta perustimmekin ensimm\u00e4isen humanitaarisen logistiikan tieteelllisen julkaisun. Kaikkein hienointa minulle kuitenkin t\u00e4ss\u00e4 ty\u00f6ss\u00e4 oli se ett\u00e4, l\u00e4\u00e4k\u00e4rin tytt\u00e4ren\u00e4, koin ett\u00e4 meid\u00e4n ty\u00f6ll\u00e4 sek\u00e4 yhteisty\u00f6ll\u00e4 oli todella merkityst\u00e4.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Humanitaarisen logistiikan instituutti on kuin onkin t\u00e4n\u00e4 p\u00e4iv\u00e4n\u00e4 yksi maailman tunnetuimmista alan tutkimuskeskuksista. Maailman ensimm\u00e4inen logistiikan professori on siell\u00e4 t\u00f6iss\u00e4, ja h\u00e4n onkin se nuori tutkija joka kurkisti ovestani vuonna 2006, Gy\u00f6ngyi Kov\u00e1cs. Olen eritt\u00e4in ylpe\u00e4 siit\u00e4 ty\u00f6st\u00e4 mit\u00e4 instituutissa on tehty ja mit\u00e4 siell\u00e4 ollaan saatu aikaan. Viimeksi pandemian aikana he tekiv\u00e4t paljon tutkimusty\u00f6t\u00e4 rokote-logistiikan saralla suuressa EU projektissa, ja instituuttiin hakeutuu moni tutkija koska haluaa tehd\u00e4 t\u00f6ita ja opiskella humanitaarista logistiikka Suomessa.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Itse en valitettavasti ole kovin paljon viime vuosina ehtinyt tehd\u00e4 tutkimusty\u00f6t\u00e4. Se j\u00e4i aika paljon takalallee kun siirryin niin sanotusti \u201dover to the dark side\u201d eli aloitin rehtorina Hankenilla 2015. Ymm\u00e4rt\u00e4\u00e4kseni olin silloin ensimm\u00e4inen logistiikan alan professori joka valittiin rehtoriksi. N\u00e4in oli tilanne my\u00f6s Norjassa, jossa t\u00e4n\u00e4 p\u00e4iv\u00e4n\u00e4n toimin rehtorina. Muistan hyvin kun minut oli valittu niin hallituksen puheenjohtaja kertoi minulle ett\u00e4 k\u00e4viv\u00e4t kovasti keskustelua siit\u00e4 ett\u00e4 mahtaakohan logistiikan alan professori p\u00e4rj\u00e4t\u00e4, eih\u00e4n h\u00e4nell\u00e4 ole vahvaa taloudellista taustaa kuten finanssialan professorilla olisi. Min\u00e4 taas vastasin ett\u00e4 juuri se ett\u00e4 minulla on logistiikan ja toimitusketjujen tuntemus ja osaaminen on vahvuuteni. Osaan sen my\u00f6t\u00e4 mietti\u00e4 kokonaisuuksia, ja sit\u00e4 ajattelutapaa tarvitaan todellakin jokap\u00e4iv\u00e4isess\u00e4 ty\u00f6ss\u00e4ni. BI on nimitt\u00e4in yksi Euroopan suurimmista kauppakorkeakouluista, meill\u00e4 on yli 20.000 opiskelijaa ja 4 kampusta Norjassa sek\u00e4 kampus Shanghaissa. Logistiikka on siis osa meid\u00e4n arkip\u00e4iv\u00e4\u00e4 ja logistiikka on my\u00f6s keskeinen aine monessa ohjelmistamme. Sen lis\u00e4ksi Humanitaarinen logistiikka on ollut keskeinen osa siell\u00e4 teht\u00e4v\u00e4\u00e4 tutkimusta koska siit\u00e4 saakka kun esitimme ensimm\u00e4isen paperimme konferenssissa vuonna 2006 niin my\u00f6s BI:ll\u00e4 l\u00e4hdettiin edist\u00e4m\u00e4\u00e4n sit\u00e4 tutkimusalaa. T\u00e4m\u00e4n lis\u00e4ksi Bill\u00e4 on tehty paljon terveydenhuollon logistiikan parissa ja t\u00e4t\u00e4nyky\u00e4 BI on osa Oslo Science City\u00e4 jossa mietimme terveydenhuollon tulevaisuutta ja logistiikka tulee olemaan siin\u00e4 n\u00e4kyv\u00e4ss\u00e4 osassa mukana.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Jos mietin t\u00e4t\u00e4 matkaa t\u00e4h\u00e4n p\u00e4iv\u00e4\u00e4n, t\u00e4ytyy my\u00f6nt\u00e4\u00e4 ett\u00e4 en olisi uskonut 20 vuotta sitten ett\u00e4 tutkimusalamme t\u00e4n\u00e4 p\u00e4iv\u00e4n\u00e4 olisi niin valitettavan aiheellinen. Katastrofien ja kriisien m\u00e4\u00e4r\u00e4 sek\u00e4 niiden aiheuttama tuho ovat osa jokap\u00e4iv\u00e4ist\u00e4 el\u00e4m\u00e4\u00e4mme, eli ty\u00f6t\u00e4 riitt\u00e4\u00e4 humanitaarisen logistiikan parissa.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Enk\u00e4 my\u00f6sk\u00e4\u00e4n olisi uskonut vuonna 2006 ett\u00e4 joskus tulevaisuudessa p\u00e4\u00e4dyn takaisin BI:lle, t\u00e4ll\u00e4 kertaa rehtorina.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Se mist\u00e4 kuitenkin olen varma on se ett\u00e4 logistiikka on antanut minulle ev\u00e4\u00e4t tehd\u00e4 rehtorin ty\u00f6t\u00e4ni paremmin, ja humanitaarisen logistiikan tutkimus antanut ev\u00e4\u00e4t mietti\u00e4 mik\u00e4 on el\u00e4m\u00e4ss\u00e4 t\u00e4rke\u00e4\u00e4.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Haluankin t\u00e4ten lopettaa kiitt\u00e4m\u00e4ll\u00e4 t\u00e4st\u00e4 suuresta kunnianosoituksesta, olen eritt\u00e4in ylpe\u00e4 siit\u00e4 ett\u00e4 minulle on my\u00f6nnetty t\u00e4m\u00e4 palkinto ja haluan kiitt\u00e4\u00e4 sek\u00e4 LOGY\u00e4 ett\u00e4 kaikkia niit\u00e4 jotka ovat vuosien aikana tukeneet ty\u00f6t\u00e4ni ja kannustaneet minua. Haluan my\u00f6s kiitt\u00e4\u00e4 entisi\u00e4 kollegoita Hankenilla, stort tack till er alla p\u00e5 Hanken, utan er skulle jag inte vara d\u00e4r jag \u00e4r idag. Jag har ocks\u00e5 med mig n\u00e5gra av mina goda kolleger h\u00e4r idag fr\u00e5n BI. Jag vill ocks\u00e5 rikta ett tack till er f\u00f6r allt ert st\u00f6d och f\u00f6r det fina jobb ni g\u00f6r. Ni f\u00f6rstod s\u00e4kert inte mycket av vad jag just sa men jag ska \u00f6vers\u00e4tta \u00e5t er!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Och sist men inte minst, ett stort tack till min fina familj som \u00e4r med mig h\u00e4r idag, min mamma Vuokko, min man Seppo, mina barn Alexandra och Andre, tack f\u00f6r allt st\u00f6d och f\u00f6r att ni finns till.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>L\u00e4mpim\u00e4t kiitokset viel\u00e4 kerran t\u00e4st\u00e4 upeasta palkinnosta.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\/*! elementor &#8211; v3.11.5 &#8211; 14-03-2023 *\/<br \/>\n.elementor-widget-divider{&#8211;divider-border-style:none;&#8211;divider-border-width:1px;&#8211;divider-color:#2c2c2c;&#8211;divider-icon-size:20px;&#8211;divider-element-spacing:10px;&#8211;divider-pattern-height:24px;&#8211;divider-pattern-size:20px;&#8211;divider-pattern-url:none;&#8211;divider-pattern-repeat:repeat-x}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider{display:flex}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__text{font-size:15px;line-height:1;max-width:95%}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__element{margin:0 var(&#8211;divider-element-spacing);flex-shrink:0}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-icon{font-size:var(&#8211;divider-icon-size)}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider-separator{display:flex;margin:0;direction:ltr}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator,.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator{align-items:center}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator:before,.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator:before{display:block;content:&#8221;&#8221;;border-bottom:0;flex-grow:1;border-top:var(&#8211;divider-border-width) var(&#8211;divider-border-style) var(&#8211;divider-color)}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;element-align-left .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator&gt;.elementor-divider__svg:first-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;element-align-left .elementor-divider-separator:before{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;element-align-left .elementor-divider__element{margin-left:0}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;element-align-right .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator&gt;.elementor-divider__svg:last-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;element-align-right .elementor-divider-separator:after{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;element-align-right .elementor-divider__element{margin-right:0}.elementor-widget-divider:not(.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view-line_text):not(.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view-line_icon) .elementor-divider-separator{border-top:var(&#8211;divider-border-width) var(&#8211;divider-border-style) var(&#8211;divider-color)}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;separator-type-pattern{&#8211;divider-border-style:none}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;separator-type-pattern.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view-line .elementor-divider-separator,.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;separator-type-pattern:not(.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view-line) .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;separator-type-pattern:not(.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view-line) .elementor-divider-separator:before,.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;separator-type-pattern:not([class*=elementor-widget-divider&#8211;view]) .elementor-divider-separator{width:100%;min-height:var(&#8211;divider-pattern-height);-webkit-mask-size:var(&#8211;divider-pattern-size) 100%;mask-size:var(&#8211;divider-pattern-size) 100%;-webkit-mask-repeat:var(&#8211;divider-pattern-repeat);mask-repeat:var(&#8211;divider-pattern-repeat);background-color:var(&#8211;divider-color);-webkit-mask-image:var(&#8211;divider-pattern-url);mask-image:var(&#8211;divider-pattern-url)}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;no-spacing{&#8211;divider-pattern-size:auto}.elementor-widget-divider&#8211;bg-round{&#8211;divider-pattern-repeat:round}.rtl .elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__text{direction:rtl}.e-con-inner&gt;.elementor-widget-divider,.e-con&gt;.elementor-widget-divider{width:var(&#8211;container-widget-width,100%);&#8211;flex-grow:var(&#8211;container-widget-flex-grow)}\t\t<\/p>\n<p>The LOGY Conference, organized annually by the Finnish Association of Purchasing and Logistics (LOGY), is a highly anticipated international event that offers invaluable insights to professionals across various domains such as business management, supply chain management, sourcing, intralogistics, material handling, transport, and logistics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With nearly 500 participants, the LOGY Conference serves as a premier platform for networking and knowledge exchange, attracting individuals from directorial and managerial positions, comprising over 75% of attendees. It provides a forum to stay updated on current industry trends, engage with fellow professionals, and interact with thought leaders and trendsetters in the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This year, the event took place on February 8th and 9th in Helsinki and Tallinn. The first part of the seminar, held at the Pikku Finlandia event center in Helsinki on February 8th, covered topics such as competitiveness, supply chain management, and logistics service development. Following this, the event continued with a cruise to Tallinn, Estonia, where participants had the chance to network during an overnight stay at the Nordic Forum Hotel or at the LOGY Conference Contact Forum the next day.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The conference also featured a special highlight: Dr. Karen Spens was announced as the Logistician of the Year 2023 at the annual LOGY Conference in Helsinki.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/03\/1707718569932-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Karen Spens is acknowledged for her significant contributions to the logistics research community in Finland and her dedication to advancing research and education in humanitarian logistics. Her research predominantly focuses on humanitarian logistics, leading to the publication of several books and the co-founding of the Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, as well as the Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Research Institute (HUMLOG Institute). Today, the HUMLOG Institute stands as one of the leading research institutes in the field of humanitarian logistics, collaborating with a broad network industry partners, NGOs, and universities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With the help of many large research grants, the field of humanitarian logistics has since gained importance within the broader logistics domain. Dr. Spens has co-authored numerous books, book chapters, and articles spanning various journals, including those in logistics and related fields such as disaster studies.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She has also served as the co-editor of the International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management and held positions on several editorial boards of prominent logistics journals. Dr. Spens has furthered research and cooperation in humanitarian logistics through visiting researcher roles at BI (Norway), MIT (USA), Clark University (USA), and Griffith University (Australia). Additionally, she has been involved in launching the Business Lead Program, an initiative aimed at integrating highly educated immigrants and refugees into the Finnish business culture. The program&#8217;s success, recognized with international awards such as The EFMD Excellence in Practice (EiP) Gold Medal, was presented by Dr. Spens at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Karen Spens earned her Doctor of Science in Business Economics from Hanken School of Economics in 2001. She served as the Dean of Education at Hanken from 2010 to 2015, overseeing the development of the Assurance of Learning process aimed at enhancing student learning outcomes. Additionally, she held the position of Professor of Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography at Hanken School of Economics. Since autumn 2022, she has served as the President of BI Norwegian Business School.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The award honoring Dr. Spens as the Logistician of the Year 2023 was presented by Anna Aminoff, Chairman of LOGY&#8217;s Awards Committee, and Jyri Vilko, Chairman of LOGY&#8217;s Board of Directors.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Spens delivered the following speech upon receiving the Logistician of the Year 2023 Award at the annual LOGY Conference:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLadies and gentlemen, esteemed seminar guests,\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In 2004, a tsunami struck Southeast Asia, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of this major catastrophe. This event is still vivid in the minds of many Finns and citizens of other countries. It was a shocking and deeply touching event in many ways. In 2006, a colleague of mine popped into my office at Hanken and asked me what I would like to write about for the next NOFOMA conference. NOFOMA is the largest conference for logistics researchers in the Nordic countries, which was held that year at BI Norwegian Business School. I told my colleague that I wanted to write about something that is hardly known at all, and so she asked me, &#8220;Have you heard about humanitarian logistics?&#8221; I replied that I knew nothing about it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, we decided to write an article on humanitarian logistics. At that time, there really were not many articles written on the subject; we found only a small number that used the term. So, we decided to write about it, and thus, our first article, <em>Humanitarian Logistics in Disaster Relief Operations<\/em>, which was later published in 2007, was born. In the article, we talked about what happened during the tsunami, or perhaps more about what did not happen, and why so many things failed logistically.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Both our NOFOMA paper and our presentation gathered a lot of attention, and the article won the Best Paper Award at the conference. However, the best outcome after the conference was that it sparked collaboration with various actors. Both the International Red Cross and UNICEF quickly joined the collaboration because there was a great need for research on how to better coordinate field work to spend less money on logistics and thus more on helping those in need.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This idea has since been the guiding principle in the field of humanitarian logistics: how to best utilize the available means and methods to allocate funds and other resources in the most effective way for aid work. Subsequently, collaboration with international actors intensified, and in 2008, we established the Humanitarian Logistics Institute at Hanken Business School, in collaboration with the National Defence University. Through projects, many of them international, we gained recognition, and soon after, we established the first scientific publication on humanitarian logistics. The most rewarding aspect of this work for me, especially as a doctor&#8217;s daughter, was the sense that our efforts and collaboration truly made a difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Humanitarian Logistics Institute is now one of the most renowned research centers in the world. The world&#8217;s first professor of logistics works there, and she is the young researcher who peeked into my office in 2006, Gy\u00f6ngyi Kov\u00e1cs. I am extremely proud of the work done at the institute and what has been achieved there. During the recent pandemic, they conducted a lot of research on vaccine logistics in a major EU project, and many researchers seek to work and study humanitarian logistics in Finland. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, I haven&#8217;t been able to conduct much research myself in recent years. It took a back seat when I transitioned to what is informally referred to as &#8220;the dark side,&#8221; meaning I started as rector at Hanken in 2015. As far as I understand, I was the first professor of logistics to be appointed as rector. The situation was similar in Norway, where I currently serve as rector. I remember well when I was appointed, the chairman of the board told me that there was much discussion about whether a professor of logistics could handle it, as I didn&#8217;t have a strong financial background like a finance professor might. However, I responded that it was precisely my knowledge and expertise in logistics and supply chains that were my strengths. It allows me to think in terms of wholes, and that kind of thinking is essential in my daily work. After all, BI is one of the largest business schools in Europe, with over 20,000 students and four campuses in Norway, as well as one in Shanghai. Logistics is part of our daily lives, and it is also a key subject in many of our programs. In addition, humanitarian logistics has been a central part of the research conducted there, as since we presented our first paper at the conference in 2006, BI has been promoting that research field. Furthermore, BI has done a lot in the field of healthcare logistics, and nowadays, BI is part of Oslo Science City, where we contemplate the future of healthcare, with logistics playing a prominent role. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Reflecting on this journey to the present day, I must admit that twenty years ago, I wouldn&#8217;t have believed that our research area would be so unfortunately relevant today. The number of disasters and crises, and the devastation they cause, are part of our daily lives, so there is plenty of work in the field of humanitarian logistics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And I wouldn&#8217;t have believed in 2006 that someday in the future, I would return to BI, this time as rector.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, what I am certain of is that logistics has equipped me to do my job as rector better, and research in humanitarian logistics has provided insights into what is truly important in life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, I would like to end by thanking you for this great honor. I am extremely proud to have been awarded this prize, and I want to thank both LOGY and all those who have supported and encouraged me over the years. I also want to thank my former colleagues at Hanken; thank you all at Hanken, without you, I wouldn&#8217;t be where I am today. I also have some of my good colleagues here today from BI. I want to thank you for all your support and for the excellent work you do. You probably didn&#8217;t understand much of what I just said, but I will translate for you!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And last but not least, a big thank you to my wonderful family who is here with me today, my mother Vuokko, my husband Seppo, my children Alexandra and Andre, thank you for all the support and for being there.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Warm thanks once again for this wonderful award.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LOGY Conference, joka j\u00e4rjestet\u00e4\u00e4n vuosittain Suomen Osto- ja Logistiikkayhdistyksen (LOGY) toimesta, on eritt\u00e4in odotettu kansainv\u00e4linen tapahtuma, joka tarjoaa korvaamatonta tietoa ammattilaisille eri aloilta, kuten liiketoiminnan johto, toimitusketjujen hallinta, hankinta, intralogistiikka, <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/2024\/03\/06\/karen-spens-logy-logistician-of-the-year-2023\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":997,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=996"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1019,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/996\/revisions\/1019"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}