Dive Brief:

• A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the University of Kent in England and the Dover Harbor Board received the highest rating available from Innovate UK, a technology strategy agency, the University of Kent reported Monday. The partnership helped reduce traffic congestion, boost efficiency and cut costs for the port.
• Leading the effort was University of Kent graduate Dr. Cliff Preston, who worked with the Harbor Board to assist in establishing effective data modeling and simulation software to analyze traffic volumes and better arrange staff coverage to prevent lines from forming in and around Dover at peak hours.
• This has not only reduced the impact that freight traffic has on Dover and its residents, but it also means one of the U.K.’s key import-export hubs is able to ensure goods can move in and out of the U.K. more efficiently. The same model is also employed to support Dover's French border authorities smooth traffic through the port.

Dive Insight:

The supply chain benefits not only from new technology but also from new talent.

With a declining population of experienced workers becoming an increasing problem within the supply chain, the University of Kent's initiative to help the Port of Dover helps pave the way for other university students to get involved in supply chain solutions.

Organizations that offer apprenticeships, internships, co-ops and other workforce-development programs help ensure a healthy, competitive future, and are increasingly approaching universities to recruit newly minted and other graduates to oversee new programs and make improvements to existing systems. Most important to employers are graduates with problem-solving skills, along with analytic abilities.

The success of the Knowledge Partnership is perfectly indicative of the positive effects of new skills addressing old challenges. Benefiting not only from modern technology but also from inventive problem solving abilities, the mutual service resolves seemingly baffling logistics challenges while giving needed experience to recent graduates.