The Circular Supply Chain Network (CSCN) is a global think-tank that connects supply chain practitioners and thought leaders to explore how supply chains can be redesigned in order to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Every year, CSCN runs a Hackathon competition to celebrate the Earth Day. This year’s edition was held on the 23rd and 24th of April 2022. Ph.D. students and supply chain practitioners from all over the world took place in this contest, trying to devise circular supply chain solutions to be applied to practical challenges. Eleven teams, representing nine universities and four different continents took part in the Hackathon, which was sponsored by GS1 US (a leading provider of supply chain technological solutions).
Our ReTraCE ESR Azar MahmoumGonbadi participated in this international challenge, and her team was able to win it! Azar and her teammates devised a proposal to help Forbo (a manufacturer and provider of flooring systems) track tiles throughout their life cycle in order to ensure their sustainable use, reuse, and end of life treatment over a 20-years period. The solution developed by Azar and her teammates enables materials reusability and recycling by sharing relevant information across supply chain actors while respecting the competitive sensitivity of this information.
On the news of the victory of her team, Azar commented: “The most important take-home lesson from this Hackathon is that supply chains around the world are facing the same challenges. We are all connected. The key to tackling these challenges is worldwide collaboration”.
Azar won a $500 cash prize, plus a book on Circular Supply Chains authored by Deborah Dull and a CSCN hoodie.
