Ericsson pilots new 'fast track' research with leading universities

Ericsson pilots new 'fast track' research with leading universities - Joint research programs with Stanford (USA) and Lund (Sweden) Universities will focus on 3G supply chain issues. Ericsson is teaming up with Stanford University, USA, and Lund University, Sweden, to launch a new type of 'fast track' joint research program that will work on supply chain management issues for the telecommunications and Internet industries. An early focus will be on supply chain techniques to support the rapid build-up of 3G mobile networks. "Ericsson has a long tradition of working with universities in Sweden and the rest of the world," says Crister Ek, Vice President Supply Chain & IT Management, Ericsson Radio Systems AB. "But with this new supply chain research initiative we are piloting a new collaboration model. We expect valuable two-way benefits by bringing the world of industry and academia closer together. This new relationship with Stanford and Lund will also include co-operation and information exchange on supply chain issues with other world-class companies in the USA and Europe." Ericsson plans a direct investment of approximately USD 1 million a year over the next five years in this collaborative research program, known within the company as the 'Ericsson Supply Chain Academy'. The links with Stanford and Lund will bring together doctoral students at the two universities with senior Ericsson supply chain and logistics specialists. Subjects likely to be addressed in the early stages of the program include capacity planning and forecasting, models and instruments for risk sharing in the supply chain, e-commerce as an integral element of supply strategies, and how supply chain issues affect product design. "This research relationship with Ericsson is an innovative move," said Stanford's Hau L. Lee, the Kleiner, Perkins, Mayfield, Sequoia Capital Professor in the School of Engineering and professor in the Graduate School of Business. "We are excited at the prospect of having the Ericsson Visiting Industrial Research Associates here on campus, bringing their in- depth knowledge of real-world supply chain issues to our research activities." "We believe that this type of collaborative model is very much the future, and we want to be working with industry leaders such as Ericsson," says Professor Sten Wandel at the Department of Industrial Management and Logistics at Lund University." The telecoms sector is particularly challenging and exciting, because of the speed of change, its global nature, and the complex technologies. But we are confident that many of the new supply chain concepts pioneered in this challenging environment will be applicable in other types of business." Ericsson is the leading communications supplier, combining innovation in mobility and Internet in creating the new era of mobile Internet. Ericsson provides total solutions covering everything from systems and applications to mobile phones and other communications tools. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for customers all over the world. Read more at http://www.ericsson.com/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Pär Altan, Communication Director Ericsson Corporate Communications, Division Mobile Systems Phone: +46 8 508 79313 E-mail: Par.Altan@lme.ericsson.se Hau L. Lee, Professor, Stanford University Phone: +1 650 723 0514 E-mail: haulee@stanford.edu Sten Wandel, Professor, Lund University Phone: +46 46 222 8114 E-mail: Sten.Wandel@tlog.lth.se About Stanford University Stanford University in California, has more than 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and about 1,400 faculty. Education and research into supply chain subjects is the one of the areas covered by the university's Department of Management Science and Engineering. About Lund University Lund is the largest university in Sweden, with around 28,000 undergraduate students, 3,000 PhD students, and 3,500 staff. Engineering Logistics, under the professorship of Sten Wandel, is one of the strategic areas within the Lund Institute of Engineering-LTH (Faculty of Engineering) at Lund University.