Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Supply Chain Practice at Kühne Logistics University (KLU) in Hamburg. He is also the Co-Director of KLU's Center for Sustainable Logistics and Supply Chains (CSLS). In this capacity, Moritz focuses his research, teaching and outreach activities on two main areas: (1) driving the decarbonization of logistics and (2) advancing the Circular Economy, each through operational, behavioral, and technological measures. Before starting his tenure at KLU, Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen studied Industrial Engineering and Management and subsequently joined the Hamburg University of Technology as a doctoral student. He finished his doctorate under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kersten and joined KLU in 2016.
In his research, Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen strives to co-create impactful results with partners from industry, academia, and international organizations while maintaining academic rigor. With his team of PhD students, he frequently carries out publicly funded research projects. For example, Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen investigates effective supply chain configurations for polymer recycling within the European Horizon 2020 project CREAToR. Another example is the GATE project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economy, where he works towards improving GHG emissions data exchange between shippers and carriers. Further, Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen collaborates with international organizations such as the Smart Freight Centre and the World Bank on advancing methods and tools within the logistics domain. His work appears in renowned journals such as IEEE TEM or IJOPM, where he was also awarded the 2020 Best Paper Award for his work on sustainability considerations in product development.
Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen teaches courses on topics like Supply Chain Sustainability, Circular Product Development, and Lean Logistics Operations in KLU’s degree programs from the Bachelor to the MBA level. He further teaches short courses on these topics to diverse audiences, from logistics executives to elementary school kids. Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen is an ITP – International Teachers Program alumni driven by a desire to inspire and help drive change. To make his course contents tangible, Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen regularly integrates interactive elements like Virtual Reality, factory simulations, learning games, or disassembly workshops for electronics products into the curriculum.
Being a firm believer in academia’s responsibility to disseminate research to external audiences, Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen greatly emphasizes outreach activities. He frequently appears as a speaker or panelist in industry events such as Deutscher Logistik-Kongress, Logistics Summit or Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis. He further engages in media work and writes articles and comments for practitioner-focused publications. Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen also pursues non-typical outreach activities. For example, he co-creates a children’s book around logistics and co-hosts the bi-weekly interview podcast “Das Gleiche in Grün?!” where he discusses developments and best practices at the intersection of logistics and sustainability.
Selected Publications
: Blockchain in Logistics and Supply Chain: Trick or Treat?, in: Kersten, Wolfgang, Thorsten Blecker and Christian M. Ringle (ed.): Digitalization in Supply Chain Management and Logistics: Proceedings of Hamburg International Conference of Logistics, epubli: Hamburg, 3-18.
Abstract: Blockchain is an emergent technology concept that enables the decentralized and im-mutable storage of verified data. Over the last few years, it has increasingly attracted the attention of different industries. Especially in Fintech, Blockchain is hyped as the silver bullet that might overthrow today’s payment handling. Slowly, the logistics and supply chain man-agement community realizes how profoundly Blockchain could affect their industry. To shed light on this emerging field, we conducted an online survey and asked logistics professionals for their opinion on use case exemplars, barriers, facilitators, and the general prospects of Blockchain in logistics and supply chain management. We found most of our participants are fairly positive about this new technology and the benefits it offers. However, factors like the hierarchical level, Blockchain experiences, and the industry sector have a significant impact on the participants’ evaluation. We reason that the benefits over existing IT solutions must be carved out more carefully and use cases must be further explored to get a rather conservative industry, like logistics, more excited about Blockchain.
(2017): Dancing in the dark: Challenges for product developers to improve and communicate product sustainability, Journal of Cleaner Production, 161: 345-354.
Abstract: Developing more sustainable products provides an opportunity to address wasteful consumption practices. Yet, despite their best efforts to improve product sustainability, many companies admit to lacking a comprehensive sustainability strategy. Further, they have only limited insights into their consumers' expectations towards product sustainability. This manuscript presents the findings of a behavioral experiment on consumers' reactions towards companies' development efforts. We investigate how the development efforts “more sustainable materials” and “green exterior design” influence consumers' perceptions of product quality, sustainability, and aesthetics for two exemplary products. In summary, both efforts signal higher product sustainability to consumers. Yet, this may come at a cost as these changes may also signal impediments with respect to quality and aesthetics. We juxtapose our findings with signaling theory to derive implications for research and practice.
: Adopting a Value Chain Focus to Tackle Decarbonization, in: Lind, Mikael, Wolfgang Lehmacher and Robert Ward (ed.): Maritime Decarbonization: Practical Tools, Case Studies and Decarbonization Enablers: 1, Springer Nature, 79-88.
Abstract: This chapter provides information to assist in adopting successful decarbonization roadmaps or decarbonization projects by focussing on value chains. The authors emphasise the importance of understanding the various activities and processes involved in creating value for companies in the maritime sector and their interdependence on other parts of the value chains in which they operate. They emphasise that decarbonization should be seen as a joint undertaking of multiple intertwined value chains. Only with this broad perspective can the available decarbonization enablers be assessed holistically and implemented in the timescale that society is increasingly demanding.
(2019): How Corporate Sustainability Affects Product Developers’ Approaches Toward Improving Product Sustainability, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 68 (4): 955-969.
Abstract: Human factors, such as an individual's competences and attitudes, have a decisive impact on the results of product development processes, especially in companies with small product development teams. Sustainability considerations further amplify this impact as such a multifaceted issue results in an extra layer of product requirements and hard-to-make decisions on tradeoffs. This paper explores the interplay of corporate sustainability and the individual approaches product developers exhibit toward improving product sustainability. For this purpose, a grounded theory study in the German consumer goods industry is conducted. Thirty-two expert interviews with product development managers and extensive secondary data are collected and analyzed. It is found that the corporate sustainability approach heavily influences how developers comprehend sustainability and how they conceptualize it for their product portfolio. Explicitly, the products considered for sustainability improvements, their innovation level, and the use of design stereotypes to signal sustainability improvements emerge as key decision levers. The findings emphasize that the human factors in the context of product development, specifically concerning sustainability, warrant more academic attention. Also, it is demonstrated that companies need to be aware of the organizational environment which they are providing for their developers when pushing for product sustainability.
(2021): Challenges and Best Practices in Recycling Supply Chains: A Qualitative Analysis of Five Major Waste Streams. Center for Sustainable Logistics and Supply Chains at Kühne Logistics University: Endbericht Forschungsprojekt..
Abstract: Recycling activities are complex and involve many actors. Recycling supply chains are under increasing pressure due to higher volumes of waste and rising requirements regarding the treatment and quality of the secondary raw materials. We aim to identify challenges and best practices in recycling supply chains. The analysis comprises the recycling supply chains of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), plastics packaging, construction and demolition, glass, and paper waste. 36 interviews with actors from different stages of the recycling process are analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results show that the main challenges are related to impurities in the waste streams resulting, among other reasons, from wrong disposal, treatment with unsuitable equipment, or inadequate product design. Furthermore, we highlight that a joint effort of the different actors in the supply chain is necessary to overcome the current challenges and improve the quantity and quality of secondary raw materials.
Research Projects
Blockchain for the Circular Economy
CREAToR: Collection of raw materials, Removal of flAme reTardants and Reuse of secondary raw materials
ChainLog: Identifikation und Bewertung von Einsatzpotenzialen für Blockchains in Logistik und Supply Chain Management
Development of an Assessment Toolkit to Determine Logistics Competences, Skills and Training
Ganzheitliche Ausweisung von Transportemissionen – GATE
HANSEBLOC: Hanseatische Blockchain-Innovationen für Logistik und Supply Chain Management
Academic Positions
| Since 2021 | Assistant Professor in Sustainable Supply Chain Practice at Kühne Logistics University, Hamburg, Germany |
| 2016 - 2021 | Senior Researcher at Kühne Logistics University, Hamburg, Germany |
| 2010-2015 | Research Associate at the Institute of Business Logistics and General Management, Hamburg University of Technology |
Education
| since 2017 | Habilitation in the field of supply chain management at Hamburg University of Technology, Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kersten |
| 2017 | Dissertation in engineering at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) Thesis topic: “Considering Sustainability in the Development of Consumer Goods” Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kersten, Prof. Dr. Heike Flämig |
| 2010 | Diploma in Industrial Engineering, HWI Hamburg (collaborative study program by University of Hamburg, Hamburg University of Technology, and Hamburg University of Applied Sciences) Degree: Diplom-Wirtschaftsingenieur (Dipl.-Ing. oec.) |
