Manufacturing logistics and procurement – November 2025

Supply chain innovators in pharma honoured
On 28 October 2025, the finest and brightest in pharma supply chain innovation got together for the CPHI Pharma Awards 2025. Ultimate winner was Cryoport Systems with their advanced packaging and transport system for cooled transport of medicines. NVC Packaging Centre is part of the Jury. Read all about the ceremony here and contact the NVC office for background information of all entries (both logistics, supply chain as well as packaging).

Logistics trends in The Netherlands
According to ING (in Dutch), the Dutch transport and logistics sector will grow by 1% in 2025 and 2026, but there will be considerable differences between types of activity. Infrastructure and defence investments may generate additional transport demand in the course of 2026. Internationally, logistics via ports like Rotterdam is undergoing major changes due to protectionism and geopolitical tensions. Changes in trade patterns are creating new logistics routes and shifts in the customer base. Logistics management is playing an increasingly important role in maintaining delivery reliability.

Global parcel delivery sector is maturing in Q4 2025, says nShift
As the fourth quarter is 2/3 over, nShift reports that the parcel delivery industry has fundamentally shifted. The age of hypergrowth and expansion-at-all-costs is over. What's replacing it is something more sustainable: discipline, data, and a relentless focus on operational efficiency. For e-commerce businesses and logistics providers, this pivot changes everything about how to compete.

Global Corporate Sustainability Survey 2025
The Global Corporate Sustainability Survey 2025 (1.52 MB) by L.E.K. Consulting captures the latest thinking from senior decision-makers across sectors and geographies. Sustainability has become a strategic priority for most corporates. Today’s leaders are moving beyond high-level commitments to focus on delivery, investment returns and value chain collaboration. But the journey is far from complete.

The agentic organisation: Contours of the next paradigm for the AI era
According to McKinsey, AI is bringing the largest organisational paradigm shift since the industrial and digital revolutions. Organisations are beginning to deploy virtual AI agents along a spectrum of increasing complexity: from simple tools that augment existing activities to end-to-end workflow automation to entire “AI-first” agentic systems. In parallel, physical AI agents are emerging. Companies are making strides in developing “bodies” for AI, such as smart devices, drones, self-driving vehicles, and early attempts at humanoid robots.

Optimisation of packaging procurement and supplier strategy in the supply chain
A L'Oréal study shows that by optimising packaging procurement and supplier management in the supply chain, the operational efficiency of the entire supply chain can be improved, operating costs can be reduced, and the competitiveness of the enterprise can be enhanced. The study (435 kB) is published in the European Journal of Business, Economics & Management.
 

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