Award-winning HAZARD Publication #32 is now out!

The 32nd installment in the HAZARD Publications series, titled Transport and Logistics in the
Baltic Sea Region by 2030: A Foresight Study, has been published. This study is a follow-up to previous research by Ojala et al. (2013) and the graduate thesis by Leino (2014). The aim of the study was to map the outlook for transport and logistics in the Baltic Sea Region by the year 2030. The publication is available through this link or from the HAZARD Publications’ archive.

Mr. Eeli Friman, an Operations & Supply Chain Management major student from University of Turku, wrote his Master’s thesis assigned by the HAZARD Project. The thesis was awarded by Finnish Transport and Logistics SKAL for its merits.

The study data was gathered using the Delphi method by surveying a
multinational expert panel of 96 participants from the Baltic Sea Region. The survey included 52 questions, subdivided into 10 themes. Several factors anticipated to affect the region’s competitiveness by 2030 were identified, of which the most important ones were the growing importance of environmental aspects in conducting business, significant technological advances, increasing taxation and regulation, increasing prevalence of cyberthreats, and a shortage of skilled blue-collar labour.

The following recommendations are derived from the survey results and will be presented to policymakers:

• Recognition of the increased importance of transport and logistics for competitiveness
• Focus on the environmental aspects and preparation for upcoming changes
• Preparation for upcoming tax and regulatory changes, upcoming technological changes, possible lack of skilled workforce and increasing prevalence of cyberthreats
• Acknowledgment of deteriorating trade relations between Russia and other Baltic Sea Region countries excluding Belarus