Crossroads 2015 Agenda Showcases MIT Innovations that Shape Supply Chains

A new way to deliver freight in congested cities, a revolutionary energy storage system, and a method for driving innovation by harnessing skunk work projects, are some of the developments that supply chain professionals will learn about at Crossroads 2015, March 24, 2015, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus, Cambridge, MA.

The one-day event brings together experts from MIT, the world’s foremost center for technological innovation, and the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL), the global leader in supply chain education and research, to offer this truly unique learning opportunity.

“In its eleven-year history, Crossroads has become the industry’s most compelling forum for the ideas that will shape future supply chains,” says Yossi Sheffi, Elisha Gray II Professor of Engineering Systems, MIT, and Director of MIT CTL. “This year’s conference showcases technologies and strategies that are fast evolving or near to commercialization.”

The confirmed sessions and speakers for Crossroads 2015 include:

Logistics in the City of the Near Future

Dr. Edgar Blanco, Research Director, MIT CTL

How to efficiently deliver goods in sprawling urban centers is a major logistics challenge for companies. Dr. Blanco will explore emerging solutions including a new type of conveyance.

Advancing the Energy Revolution

Donald R. Sadoway, John F. Elliott Professor of Materials Chemistry, MIT

How will energy be generated and distributed in the future? Professor Sadoway will describe a revolutionary storage system for electricity he has co-developed that is in the prototype stage.

Not Too Big to Fail: Cyber Security for Large-Scale Systems

Suarbah Amin, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT.

Protecting large physical networks such as water systems, electricity grids, and global supply chains against malicious cyber attacks is a major challenge. Professor Amin will map the cyber threat and explore ways to make supply chains more resilient

The Power of Collaborative Innovation

Dr. Peter A. Gloor, Research Scientist, MIT Center for Collective Intelligence

Unofficial research groups, often called skunk works, are responsible for many transformative innovations. Peter Gloor will explain how Collaborative Innovation Networks evolve and how companies can harness their creativity.

Lessons from a Worldwide Virtual Classroom

Dr. Chris Caplice, Executive Director, MIT CTL

The online educational program developed by MIT CTL called SCx opened its doors on September 30, 2014. Dr. Chris Caplice will offer some hard-won lessons about creating the course and will explore the future of virtual education.

Individuals who are interested in attending Crossroads 2015 are strongly advised to register soon. Further information and registration form are available at http://ctl.mit.edu/crossroads.

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