On 9 December 2024, Ralf Elbert and Ren Kajiyama had the pleasure of visiting Maynooth University in Ireland. The visit was a fantastic opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and exchange ideas.

They explored the complexities of transport corridors—a backbone of modern supply chains—and discussed innovations to improve their efficiency and reliability, also addressing the capacities and utilization of rail freight systems, which play a critical role in ensuring sustainable and efficient logistics.

Additionally, they touched on the challenge of building resilience in food supply chains. This remains a critical issue for Germany, Ireland, and all of Europe, as transport infrastructure must be able to support reliable food logistics amidst evolving global challenges.

The discussions reaffirmed that solving these interconnected issues will require interdisciplinary expertise, robust international partnerships, and a shared commitment to innovation.

A heartfelt thank you for the insightful visit, Amr Mahfouz, Joseph Coughlan, Fiona Lyddy, Nicola Mountford and Fabiano Pallonetto. We are looking forward to continuing this collaboration and tackling these challenges together.