Engaging Actors for Market-Oriented Competence Creation in Logistics Knowledge Triangle ecosystems. Perspectives from an EU project

Logistics has become one of the most strategic areas for organizational performance, becoming progressively more and more challenging with the birth of new regulations, innovative technologies, and new customer demands, particularly related to the spreading of Industry 4.0 and the rise of new sustainability issues. The numerous changes that have been occurring in the sector are making it a priority for educational institutions to provide students and workers with high-quality competences and skills that businesses require in order to keep pace with the market. This paper presents some findings and perspectives from a European research project called ―FRAMELOG, European Framework for ̳Knowledge Triangle‘ in the Logistics Sector‖, which is focused on the knowledge dynamics of the so-called Knowledge Triangle (hereafter, KT). The KT is considered a suitable framework for defining a macro knowledge ecosystem which links educational organizations, research institutions, and for-profit entities with the common scope of creating high-quality competences. In this macro perspective, we first performed a multiple case study analysis at European level to identify some effective methods and tools used to implement dynamic knowledge-creating connections among cross-sectorial key organizations in the logistics area. Subsequently, following a literary review and focus group activities, we identified a panel of indicators that can be used to assess and guide the building of collaboration between organizations, according to the Deming Cicle. In addition, some ―Methods‖, ―Tools and Actions‖ and ―Guidelines‖ were created to help organizations working in the KT ecosystem to effectively set up those steps needed to increase collaboration within it. From the early findings of the FRAMELOG Project, it appears that conjoint knowledge- creating dynamics, such as the sharing of good practices, the use of different guidelines and the application of stakeholder engagement techniques, can contribute to stimulating proactive relationships between organizations, in the common objective of creating high- level skills on logistic topics and for the overall logistics sector. Reducing the distance between organizations working in the fields of education, research, and business can enable the implementation of virtuous spirals of knowledge creation in all three areas, leading to the formation of an effective knowledge ecosystem for the logistics area; by extension, this can also foster an increase in the productivity of the whole industry and greater well-being at regional, national, and European levels.