'Ideas in Practice' Supply Chain Summit 2026: Launch of the Collaboration Playbook
- Date: Thursday 26 February 2026, 09:30 – 17:00
- Location: University House
- Type: Ideas in Practice, Alumni, Seminars and lectures
- Cost: Free
The Supply Chain Summit 2026 will launch the "Collaboration Playbook", co-authored with the Institute for Collaborative Working, as well as discussing prominent topics in supply chain management.
Register your place on Eventbrite
Join us at our ‘Ideas in Practice’ Supply Chain Summit 2026, where we will explore the importance of collaboration and its centrality to the delivery of diverse value architecture from social value to health and safety, and internal and external relationships within ecosystems that embrace complex supply chains.
Highlights of our summit include:
- The launch of our “Collaboration Playbook” with the Institute for Collaborative Working, which is specifically targeted at the practitioner audience and embraces the requirements of the Public Procurement Act 2023 as well as industry best practice
- Lessons learnt from the UK’s single largest infrastructure programme on the delivery of social value
- The diverse approaches needed for effective internal collaboration within ecosystems
- An insight into Leeds University Business School’s new Centre for Technology, Operations and Supply Chain Analysis (TOSCA)
- Collaboration as a value-add to dlivering health and safety
Be part of our second Supply Chain Summit co-hosted with the Institute for Collaborative Working, with whom we are developing an ongoing strategic partnership. Play a pivotal role in shaping the future agenda for research, collaboration tools and techniques, case studies and more.
Our target audience are leaders, specialists, managers and academics in supply chain management, procurement, contracting, and a diverse range of specialist disciplines that are central to the collaboration ecosystem.
Event Programme:
|
09:30 |
Registration and refreshments |
|
10:00 |
Welcome and introductions David Loseby, Visiting Professor of Research Management at Leeds University Business School |
|
10:05 |
Opening address Gareth Scargill, Director at Maersk |
|
10:20 |
Keynote: Small-to-Medium Enterprise imperative Shirley Cooper OBE, Small Business Crown Representative – Why collaboration is an imperative in mobilising the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE)/small-to-medium enterpise (SME) community to deliver value and innovation for UK businesses and beyond |
|
10:40 |
The Collaboration Playbook: Presentation Frank Lee, Chief Executive Officer at the Institute for Collaborative Working The culmination of a two-year journey and how this supports the practitioner every step of the way. |
|
10:50 |
The Collaboration Playbook: Fireside interview – A Government Commercial Function perspective Matt Browne, Deputy Dirfector of Policy and Communication at the Cabinet Office How the playbook supports the Public Procurement Act 2023 and how the Government Commercial Function network is augmenting the skills and capability in the public sector. |
|
11:20 |
Refreshment break |
|
11:45 |
Breakout sessions Chair: David Loseby, Leeds University Business School Breakout 1: Facilitators: Dr Chee Yew Wong, Professor of Supply Chain Management, Dr Nicky Shaw, Senior Lecturer, and Dr Mahdi Bashiri, Associate Professor, all Leeds University Business School (Woodhouse Suite) - How can industries and universities collaborate to address challenges in technology and resiliency in supply chains and sustainability? Breakout 2: Facilitator: Michelle Lawrence, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Link Up (UK) (Beech Grove) - Getting SMEs and community organisations engaged and integrated into collaborative supply chains to generate additive social value: why is it so challenging and what are the catalysts for change? Breakout 3: Moderator: John Doyle, Managing Director of B2BPP (St George) – How can industry and academia collaborate to create the EAST (Easy, Attractive, Social and Timely) approach to health-and-safety nudges and gamification for better practice? |
|
12:45 |
Networking lunch |
|
13:30 |
Presentation: Structured collaboration to deliver social value Gareth Williams, Sustainability Director at the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) West Alliance – Lessons learnt and key achievements on the TRU West Alliance programme |
|
14:00 |
Panel discussion Chair: David Loseby, Leeds University Business School
Structured collaboration has been shown to deliver greater value, improved health and safety outcomes, more social value and predictable project results. At the same time, the Public Procurement Act 2023 increases expectations around social value, environmental impact and SME involvement. How should we navigate these new requirements when the Act does not explicitly call for stronger collaboration, and what specific challenges does this pose for your sector? Martin Gannicott, Commercial Director, National Highways Simon Reid, Managing Director, Babcock International Further panellists to be confirmed. |
| 15:00 |
An introduction to TOSCA (Technology, Operations, Supply Chain and Analysis Research Centre) Dr Mahdi Bashiri and Dr Nicky Shaw, Leeds University Business School TOSCA’s mission: Delivering insights, positive outcomes and impact by engaging with industry partners and stakeholders to:
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|
15:15 |
Refreshment break |
|
15:35 |
Breakout sessions: The challenges of successful internal collaborative culture Chair: David Loseby, Leeds University Business School Breakout 1: Facilitator: Charly Hutson, Director of the GLA Group Collaboration Public sector collaboration: Central government, local government, arm’s-length bodies Breakout 2: Facilitator: Bill Taylor, Associate Director at the Institute for Collaborative Working Sectorial collaboration: Alliances, joint ventures and partnerships Breakout 3: Facilitator: Dr Nicky Shaw, Leeds University Business School Internal collaboration: Departmental (private sector and universities), regional, head office, parent company, subsidiary |
| 16:35 |
Closing remarks Frank Lee, Institute for Collaborative Working |
|
16:45 |
Drinks reception and networking |
|
17:00 |
Event close |
If you have any questions about this event, please contact Grace Carter at Leeds University Business School.