Cold Chain Federation Live 2023 – Resilience and Opportunity in the Cold Chain
Last week between 14th– 15th September, Hemsec were proud to be Gold Sponsors of Cold Chain Live 2023. We had a great time at the Cold Chain Federation Live 2023. It was fantastic to connect with so many inspiring people across the sector and be part of important discussions surrounding the future of the industry.
Our Highlights
The event was buzzing with excitement around the key themes of Resilience and Opportunity in the Cold Chain. There were many thought-provoking discussions and presentations throughout the conference, here are some of our key speaker highlights:
PWC’s Claire Fox and Alex Shaw told us that nearly 40% of CEO’s don’t think that their companies will be economically viable a decade from now if they remain on the current plan. Also 60% of their survey respondents expect ESG initiatives to be a key part of their agenda in the year ahead. PWC also added that ESG initiatives are key to attracting new talent to the industry. People are now very well educated on well-being, and it is important that the industry meets the expectations of workers to retain and recruit successfully.
Clive Thornley from Styne Refrigeration, reviewed CCF’s 2023 stats and the opportunities & challenges for refrigeration engineering in the short and long term.
Chris Hall, Asda Supply Chain VP, delivered a fantastic speech urging companies not to wait until all the stars are aligned to try something new. The idea that not everything needs to be successful at first and we should be working as an industry to ‘fail fast to succeed quickly’ was inspiring.
The On-Site Heat Company talked through how they have implemented a system to recover heat energy from one place and utilise it in the same building for different processes.
Shane Brennan Chief Executive of the CCF, asked the industry whether we can reduce the blast freeze standard from -18 to maybe -15 or less. He believes the answer is ‘probably yes’, but the need is for more research and data to drive customer acceptance. Tom Southall mirrored this and suggested that the CCF could be a great forum for lobbying for this.
In the ‘Energy Zone’ break out session, Jakob Tercon discussed the opportunities around ‘waste as a resource’ and gave examples of manufacturers that are collaborating with their neighbours to redirect waste energy in the form of heating or cooling. This localised approach was an insightful idea, and something that really got us thinking.
Hemsec on the Panel
Our Sales & Marketing Director, Sarah Gazzola, joined the panel in the Energy Zone on day two. The topic of conversation was ‘Right First Time – Principles for Excellence in Cold Store Construction and Refurbishment’. Sarah highlighted the importance of collaboration in the supply chain and ensuring that investment in new, more energy efficient technologies, is not ‘wasted through the walls’. An holistic approach is needed to optimise investment in green technologies and make maximum impact on emissions and energy waste reduction, reminding people not to neglect the fabric of the building.
Competition Time
Hemsec’s ‘Rock & Roll’ competition saw people competing for the top prize and a chance to be entered into the draw from 2nd place to 10th.
After some extremely fierce competition, congratulations to Rachel Lenton from Zestec Renewable Energy for winning the top prize with an incredible time of 20.76secs!! The Apple AirTags are on their way. And well done to Ellie Card from ISD Solutions for winning an Amazon Echo Pop for ‘Best of the Rest’ with a time of 26.38secs.
Thank you to Cold Chain Federation for organising the event, and to the brilliant speakers and our fellow partners for making it happen – we look forward to the next one!
About Hemsec
Hemsec has been one of the UK’s leading independent composite insulated panel manufacturers since 1923. With nearly 100 years of experience in the industry, Hemsec has played a key role in shaping the use of insulated panels across many industries, including the cold chain.