Supply Chain Roundup, Week 47-49, 2023
Updated: Jul 19
Sustainable Innovation and Green Transportation Solutions
French Supply Chain Visibility Platform Secures Major Funding Boost
Paris-based Wakeo is making waves in the supply chain visibility sector, announcing an €18 million funding round that brings their total funding to over €30 million. Since its founding in 2016, the company has revolutionized intercontinental multimodal freight transport through its innovative SaaS platform. Powered by sophisticated algorithms, the platform provides supply chain teams with intelligent Estimated Time of Arrivals (ETAs), enabling them to anticipate and manage disruptions across operations in more than 180 countries. Beyond visibility, Wakeo's solution stands out for its dual impact: offering precise measurement of transport emissions while helping global organizations reduce their carbon footprint.
German Retail Giant Partners with Autonomous Electric Transport Solutions
In another significant development for sustainable logistics, self-driving electric truck company Einride has partnered with German hypermarket giant Kaufland in a groundbreaking implementation of digital and electric transportation solutions. The initial phase of this partnership will see eight electric vehicles operating from Kaufland's Möckmühl logistics site, handling an impressive capacity of up to 20,800 pallets monthly. The newly established charging park at the site will support this electric fleet, contributing to substantial environmental benefits with projected CO2 savings of 860 metric tons annually. Alexander Frohmann, Kaufland International Transport Logistics MD, emphasized the partnership's significance: "Thanks to the cooperation with Einride and the charging park in Möckmühl, we will be able to significantly reduce our CO2 emissions for store deliveries in the future." He also highlighted an often-overlooked advantage of e-trucks – their quiet operation, which is particularly beneficial for stores in city centers and residential areas.
Digital Security Challenges in Modern Supply Chains
North Korean Cyber Group Targets Global Supply Chain Through Software Compromise
A concerning development has emerged in the cybersecurity landscape as Microsoft researchers revealed that North Korea's Lazarus Group executed a sophisticated supply chain attack by embedding malware within a legitimate CyberLink application installer. The breach's impact has been substantial, affecting over 100 devices across multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, and Taiwan. This incident adds to an expanding list of supply chain attacks attributed to advanced persistent threat (APT) groups connected to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The attack's methodology was particularly sophisticated – the APT group integrated malicious code into the application installer, which then downloaded, decrypted, and loaded a second-stage payload. Dubbed LambLoader, the compromised installer was discovered in October and specifically targeted environments lacking security software from FireEye, CrowdStrike, or Tanium.
Global Supply Chain Governance and International Collaboration
U.S. Elevates Supply Chain Management to Cabinet Level
The United States is taking unprecedented steps to address supply chain challenges, with President Joe Biden establishing a new cabinet-level council dedicated to supply chain issues. This elevation of supply chain matters to the highest level of government reflects their critical importance to the economy over the past four years. The initiative is complemented by several other significant measures, including the Department of Transportation's launch of a new office for multimodal policy to coordinate national and state-level freight strategy, as mandated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
North American Nations Strengthen Supply Chain Resilience
The Biden administration's comprehensive approach to strengthening industrial resilience has involved multiple government branches, including the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force established in 2021. Led by the Secretaries of Commerce, Transportation, and Agriculture, this task force has focused on resolving supply and demand mismatches.
In parallel developments, Canada is following suit by establishing its National Supply Chain Office to address future disruptions similar to those experienced during Covid-19. This announcement coincides with the U.S. launch of the Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy. The Canadian office's mandate includes developing a National Supply Chain Strategy, responding to significant disruptions caused by factors such as extreme weather and labor disputes, and facilitating data sharing to inform policy decisions.
Aerospace Giants Foster Indo-European Defense Supply Chain Partnership
In the aerospace sector, Airbus SAS is strengthening its partnership with Tata Advanced Systems to enhance India's defence supply chain capabilities. This collaboration encompasses comprehensive investments in capability development, from raw material acquisition to manufacturing and assembly facilities. The partnership's first milestone will be the delivery of India-manufactured C295 aircraft in 2026, with the final assembly line in Vadodara scheduled to begin operations by November 2024. This initiative aligns with India's broader strategy to develop a robust domestic defence supply chain, supported by policies such as the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 and the establishment of defence industrial corridors to attract global manufacturers and boost local research capabilities.
Supply Chain Market Indicators: A Six-Month Analysis
Understanding current supply chain dynamics requires monitoring key market indicators that influence operational costs and strategic decision-making. Below, we present three crucial metrics that provide insight into the current state of global supply chains. The crude oil price trend directly impacts transportation costs across all modes, while the supply chain pressure index offers a comprehensive view of overall system stress. Finally, freight costs (Freightos) serve as a practical barometer of market conditions and capacity utilization. Together, these indicators paint a picture of the current challenges and opportunities facing supply chain professionals.
Sources
Wakeo raises €18M for supply chain visibility and sustainability | Tech.eu (tech.eu)
Global logistics news roundup: DP World, Lineage, Kaufland | Supply Chain Magazine (supplychaindigital.com)
North Korean supply chain attacks growing in sophistication and volume | SC World (scworld.com)
White House creates cabinet-level supply chain council | Supply Chain Dive (supplychaindive.com)
Canada establishing new Supply Chain Office | Truck News (trucknews.com)
Nestlé, Kraft defeat egg producers in price-fixing case | Supply Chain Dive (supplychaindive.com)
Airbus to expand Tata tie-up to strengthen India's defence supply chain | Business Standard (business-standard.com)
Mentioned in this article
Companies and Investors: #Wakeo #StatkraftVentures #PromusVentures #360Capital #50Partners #Techstars #Deepki #Zolar #Skyspecs #Metaloop #DPWorld #Lineage #Kaufland #BizClik
Technology and Security: #Microsoft #CyberLink #DreamSecurity #AhnLabSecurity #FireEye #CrowdStrike #Tanium #LazarusGroup #NCSC #NIS #DPRK
Government and Policy: #WhiteHouse #DepartmentOfTransportation #DepartmentOfHealthAndHumanServices #DepartmentOfEnergy #DepartmentOfCommerce #DepartmentOfDefense #DepartmentOfAgriculture #SupplyChainDisruptionsTaskForce #CouncilOnSupplyChainResilience #USTradeRepresentative #NationalSupplyChainOffice #NationalSupplyChainTaskForce #TransportMinisterPabloRodriguez #OfficeOfMultimodalFreightInfrastructure #PortOfVancouver
Food Industry: #Nestlé #KraftHeinz #GeneralMills #Kellogg #CalMaineFoods #RoseAcreFarms #UnitedEggProducers #USEggMarketers
Aerospace and Defense: #AirbusSAS #TataAdvancedSystems #IndianAirForce
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