The EurOMA Sustainability forum will bring together researchers from all over the world to discuss and rethink the current linear model of supply and demand, and show how companies can adopt regenerative and restorative operations that have a positive environmental and social impact. Porto will host the event over the next two years.
Climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss: the “triple planetary crisis” makes it even more “urgent” to accelerate the transition to a model with more resilient and regenerative logistics chains. But how can we achieve it? In March 2025, the EurOMA Forum will bring together different value chains’ actors to provide all answers. Researchers, industry professionals and experts in sustainable supply chains will join the event organised by INESC TEC and Porto Business School, between March 24 and 27.
The Forum – taking place online next year, since the organising committee seeks reduce the environmental impact of the event – will contribute to new ideas that advance research, teaching and business practices, leading the way to greener logistics chains.
And why is this transition important? Ricardo Zimmermann, researcher at INESC TEC and one of the organisers of the event, explained: “the concept of regenerative supply chains stems from the notion that reducing the negative impact of business (companies, products, chains) is no longer enough. We need to find ways to ‘reward’ ecosystems for all the negative impact generated by the business models adopted for so many years”.
Moreover, this ecosystem repair also benefits companies: by rebuilding and strengthening ecosystems, they become more resilient to “external factors”.
This regenerative approach, as Ricardo Zimmermann pointed out, “goes beyond environmental issues”, also covering “the complex interconnections of today’s society” and “the social injustices associated with current systems”.
According to the researcher, “the debate on sustainability has expanded rapidly from individual organisational actions to the policies and practices of logistics chains”. The 12th edition of the EurOMA Sustainable Operations and Supply Chain Forum will also favour discussions on the need to rethink “the current predominant linear global supply and demand model”, “promoting a debate on new and better ways of managing relationships and resources to face current challenges”.
According to the event’s official page, “companies should adopt regenerative and restorative operations that besides reducing or minimising impacts”, target effective operational scenarios and the negative carbon footprint.
The submission of papers closes the first stage on October 25 (abstract submission) and applications are open until February – more information about key dates available here.
The event returns to Porto in 2026, this time to the facilities of Porto Business School.
The researcher mentioned in this news piece is associated with INESC TEC.
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