MPC International’s Peter Creeden will join Professor Michael Bell of the University of Sydney for the opening keynote at the Australian Maritime Logistics Research Network (AMLRN) Annual Symposium 2026, hosted by UNSW Sydney on 30 November. Their keynote, Industry–Research Engagement, Lessons from the Logistics Living Lab, will revisit two initiatives Peter participated in: the Future Logistics Living Lab, involving NICTA, SAP and Fraunhofer, and Future Ports 2050.
Both initiatives offer lessons in what worked, why progress stalled and what future partnerships should do differently. For port, shipping and logistics operators considering their own commitments to research, the experience raises important questions about how industry and academia should work together.
Drawing on his involvement in both initiatives, Peter will introduce five proposals for closer industry–research collaboration:
- Start with industry’s problems.
- Share the data.
- Swap the people.
- Build in resilience.
- Think 2050, deliver now.
The proposals connect industry participation, access to data and the exchange of expertise with a longer-term approach to research. They also address the need to translate future ambitions into work that responds to industry’s present requirements.
The keynote will open a full-day symposium on Sustainable Maritime Supply Chain Opportunities in the Presence of Growing Protectionism, hosted by UNSW Sydney’s Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovations (rCITI).
The programme includes an industry panel examining successful research partnerships, a discussion on the pathway towards a future Freight Cooperative Research Centre, and workshops on maritime decarbonisation, optimisation and AI.
The symposium brings researchers and industry professionals together to examine the challenges facing maritime logistics and the opportunities for closer collaboration.
Join the discussion at UNSW Sydney
Peter Creeden and Professor Michael Bell will deliver their opening keynote at 9:00 am AEDT on Monday 30 November 2026, at Colombo House (B16), UNSW Sydney’s Kensington campus, accessible via Figtree Lane.
The symposium continues until 5:00 pm, with opportunities for port, shipping and logistics professionals to engage with researchers on the industry’s current challenges and future research priorities.
