Senior automotive logistics professionals will gather at London Gateway, DP World’s new container port located 40km to the east of the UK capital, on Thursday this week (July 4th) for a special Automotive Logistics forum.
The event, which will include a tour of the £1.5bn ($2.3bn) development, is planned to highlight the potential of London Gateway for adding value to automotive logistics supply chains, both inbound and outbound, and the opportunities for the industry to have a hand in shaping future services.
Operations at the 10m square metre site are due to start in the fourth quarter of this year and it could become a node for containerised parts in and out of the UK.
According to London Gateway commercial manager Peter Ward, in a recent poll 83% of automotive logistics professionals indicated that ports are seen as necessary nodes in the supply chain that add cost but not value. In contrast, he said, London Gateway is determined to lead the way in delivering outstanding performance and innovative services that meet market requirements.
“London Gateway is a tremendously exciting project. Although the port will open in Q4 this year, this is a huge site still under development, so to some extent we offer a ‘blank canvas’ and are eager to encourage industry leaders to engage in the process of defining how we can best serve this important sector.”
Ward said that the port could become an important node for containerised parts and finished vehicles in and out of the UK (read more here).
Following an introduction and update from the London Gateway team, delegates will be invited to take part in an interactive discussion session, led by panellists from the industry, including Jaguar Land Rover, Unipart, DB Schenker Rail, Vehnet, Trans-Rak and J&A Marshall.
“The Automotive Logistics Forum at London Gateway promises to be a stimulating event,” said Christopher Ludwig, editor of media partner Automotive Logistics. “The site itself is incredibly impressive and we’re looking forward to an interesting, thought provoking debate about future challenges for automotive supply chains.”
For more information or to register for the event visit London Gateway website here.
