DB Schenker Award 2013 goes to Dr. Oluseye Oloruntoba

Academic at the University of Newcastle, Australia wins the international logistics prize worth 10,000 euros – First DB Schenker Science Day on future trends in logistics

(Berlin/Frankfurt, 9 September 2014) The DB Schenker Award 2013 goes to Dr. Oluseye Richard Oloruntoba of the University of Newcastle in Australia. The academic was recognized for his dissertation “The Implications and Limitations of Commercial Supply Chain Management Process Models and Frameworks for Disaster Relief.” For the first time, the international logistics prize for up-andcoming academics, worth 10,000 euros, was awarded by the Deutsche Bahn Stiftung, which was founded in 2013, and presented to Oloruntoba at an evening event during the DB Schenker Science Day in Frankfurt.

The work deals with the question of which process models from supply chain management can also be applied in the field of disaster relief, in order to aid planning and logistics in the event of catastrophes and optimize the management of humanitarian crises.

Dr. Karl-Friedrich Rausch, Member of the Management Board for Transportation and Logistics at DB Mobility Logistics AG and deputy chairman of the Deutsche Bahn Stiftung advisory board, said: “Mr. Oloruntoba’s work indicates practical processes that can systematically improve the management of disaster rescue measures. His proposals are original and can be implemented immediately by aid organizations. As the Deutsche Bahn Stiftung also provides humanitarian aid in the event of disasters, we are particularly
pleased to be awarding the prize to Dr. Oloruntoba.”

Headed by Prof. Ramaswami Sridharan, the Newcastle Business School at the University of Newcastle in Australia was awarded 5,000 euros for funding and assisting the work of Dr. Oloruntoba.

The DB Schenker Award is one of the highest European distinctions for logisticians. The award helps to fund academic works by young scholars on the subjects of transport, logistics and traffic systems that, along with academic excellence, also demonstrate a high degree of innovation and make a contribution to the environment and community.

Trend for the future: digitalization and interconnectedness

The DB Schenker Award was presented as part of the first DB Schenker Science Day with the theme of “digitalization and interconnectedness.” For the first time, the logistics services provider held a broad forum with the objective of promoting innovative solutions for the irreversible trend towards digitalization of transportation and logistics in Germany and Europe.

DB Schenker sees itself in a leading role. “We want to act now and seek solutions as we see major challenges approaching. Building a digital infrastructure and intelligent transportation systems is only possible with cooperation between operators, industry and academia and with the support of politicians and society,” said Rausch. In presentations and workshops, decision makers from the business world and innovative academics discussed possible visions of the future. These included solutions for efficient and environmentally friendly transportation of greatly increased freight volumes in the year 2030 in the context of digital developments. Some ideas and solutions could be tested and appraised in the form of prototypes. The Science Day took place for the first time in the newly established Mobility and Logistics (HOLM) in Frankfurt. Further Science Days are planned.

Note for photo editors:

Images of the award ceremony will be available to download free of charge from 2.00 pm at https://mediathek.deutschebahn.com under the heading “Group affairs.”

SOURCE: DB Mobility Logistics AG