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The logistics industry may have to share
Page 7
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GROWING PRESSURE to find land for logistics centres could result in operators working together to make the best use of space. If operations continue to expand at the current rate, competition for land will be immense—according to Friends of the Earth.
Speaking at the Scala Annual Logistics Debate at Wroxhall Abbey near Coventry last week, Chris Crean, transport campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said that in the West Midlands alone there will be a need for up to 300 pieces of land for 650 hectares of logistics sites over the next five years.
"That's a massive issue. How do we accommodate the demands of the logistics industry — and the demands of the population for outsourced goods that are not made in the UK? The logistics industry will probably have to think about how it becomes more efficient in the ways it uses land."
He added this may mean logistics firms thinking cooperation or 'co-opetition' (cooperative competition) rather than competition. "The logistics industry will have to be part of the solution to the environmental issues we face and operators may have to think about reinventing themselves."
Those at the event were sceptical about the industry's willingness to work together because of the general lack of trust between competitors. The consensus was thatthe odd scheme may work but overall the industry was a long way from this ideal.