DHL and the National University of Singapore launch S$3m Sustainable Supply Chain Center for the Asia Pacific region

DHL and The Logistics Institute - Asia Pacific (TLI - Asia Pacific) of the National University of Singapore (NUS),  today announced the establishment of the S$3 million Sustainable Supply Chain Center of Asia Pacific (SSCCAP).  A first for the region, the initiative will be a best practice hub and intellectual property engine to drive sustainable supply chain development in the Asia Pacific region. 

Building on DHL's global GoGreen environmental protection program, its own sustainable supply chain expertise and its global GoGreen customer solutions, the Center will create practical business tools for the industry to establish benchmarks in areas of sustainable logistics solutions, involving research and education.

Paul Graham, CEO, DHL Supply Chain Asia Pacific, commented: "Given the projections for supply chain logistics growth in the region, there is a need for an Asian focus on sustainability. The SSCCAP will meet that need by leveraging DHL's sustainability best practices at its foundation.  As a leading logistics company, DHL sets industry standards with its Group-wide GoGreen climate protection program, which aims to improve the company's carbon efficiency.  Through high-level research, surveys, conferences and forums, the Center will create new tools, best practices and know-how that will put the region at the leading edge of innovative sustainability practices."

Opening in July 2010, the SSCCAP will be hosted at TLI - Asia Pacific at the National University of Singapore. TLI - Asia Pacific has a strong reputation in the industry and has established solid industry and customer links. Partnering the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US, TLI - Asia Pacific already offers a best-in-class Logistics Double Masters and Masters in Supply Chain Management program. Whilst initially co-funded, the SSCCAP will be self-sustaining in the long term through the provision of events and practical solutions for the logistics industry.

Thought leader in Asia

Professor Tan Eng Chye, Provost and Deputy President, National University of Singapore, said: "We have enjoyed a long and fruitful partnership with DHL, and we work together by hosting DHL's 'Emerging Leaders' Program. The Center shows a united commitment to investing in new technology and innovation, with Singapore as a 'Living Lab' to develop best practices in sustainable supply chain management - an approach we are successfully using in several industries."

"This SSCCAP is a strong vote of confidence in Singapore's role as the thought leader in Asia for innovative supply chain solutions.  The intellectual capital and tools developed by the center will help companies throughout the region to re-think and execute more sustainable supply chain solutions in Asia and globally," said Mr Kelvin Wong, Director, Logistics, Singapore Economic Development Board.

The SSCCAP will have seven full-time employees and be steered by a tri-partite committee comprising representatives from DHL, NUS, EDB and industry partners from Accenture, Dell and Procter & Gamble. As well as strengthening access to grants and extending frameworks to support sustainable supply chain innovation, its mission is to imbed sustainability in tertiary supply chain management curriculums both in Singapore and the Asia Pacific.