Reframing smart supply chains in Northern Australia

Summary

James Cook University (JCU) and Charles Darwin University (CDU) have partnered to deliver this report, which discusses and explores new and innovative thinking about the potential for substantive agricultural supply chain redesign in Northern Australia.

This report is a key output from the Reframing smart supply chains in Northern Australia project, which utilised mixed-methodologies including literature review, an environmental scan, stakeholder analysis and communication, in-depth interviews with 25 stakeholders and two roundtables with over 85 participants. These participants ranged from industry peak bodies, Federal/State/Territory and local governments, businesses, education providers, major supply chain companies, regional economic development bodies and others.

The 14 recommendations discussed herein are focused around eight themes. These are :

Vision and priorities for agriculture and supply chains

Enabling investment for Northern Australia supply chains

Infrastructure development

Supply chain collaboration and coordination

Looking to Asia and the Pacific

Workforce considerations

COVID-19

Data and research

Supply chains are fundamental to the improvement of competitiveness, prosperity, productivity and sustainability of northern Australia. This project aims for a renewed examination and re-framing of agricultural supply chains in northern Australia, with a view to develop alternative models of supply chain management which are efficient, effective, smart and agile. It will also identify key policy and budgetary directions to support effective supply chains across the region and identify potential partnerships for collaborative planning and implementation of supply chain initiatives and value add to supply chain thinking and analysis.