Together with the Social and Economic Council of Flanders (SERV), the Government of Flanders organized the conference ‘Transparency in the supply chain through innovative technologies’ on the 26th of November.
More and more companies are expected to take their social responsiblity seriously, such as taking care of the environment and respecting human rights, but the task of professionals who manage today's supply chains is often complex. How do you find out whether your suppliers are correct and whether all raw materials have been acquired in a responsible manner? There is a need for more transparency. Various speakers from the corporate and academic sector and civil society organisations reflected on how innovative technologies such as block chain, artificial intelligence,… can contribute to the transparency of international supply chains.
“Focusing on innovative technologies to promote transparency in the international supply chain is a win-win situation for both entrepreneurs and consumers,” said Minister-president Geert Bourgeois during his opening speech.
Louis Roy, founder of the Canadian company Optel, a world leading provider of traceability systems, was invited as keynote speaker. Louis Roy: "What we are doing is a game changer for companies. Intelligent supply chains lead to economic growth, as well as sustainability".
According to Secretary-General of SERV, Hans Maertens, new technologies offers great potentiel to make supply chains more transparent to consumers: "Transparency in the supply chains of companies is becoming increasingly important. Many Flemish companies are already using new technologies to make their supply chains as transparent as possible.
‘Good practices’ discussed at the event, included Alsico, workwear specialist, Umicore, a global materials technology and recycling group and Barry Callebaut, supplier of chocolate and cocoa products. With track and trace technology, Alsico ensures that their garments are checked at every stage. If you scan the QR code on the inside of their Infinity-fabric, you can see the history of the clothing.
Read the full report here
SERV
Optel Group
Alsico
Barry Callebaut
Umicore
Schone Kleren Campagne
EY
Picture: Keynote speaker Louis Roy, founder of the Canadian company Optel