Ulf Paulsson

Logistics in the Oresund region after the bridge

The paper is based on a joint research project between Lund University and Copenhagen Business School. The main research question is: Can the Oresund region position itself as a leading logistics centre in Scandinavia in light of the new conditions created by the bridge? The purpose is to create a fundamental understanding of the new logistics conditions in the Oresund region by identifying drivers and barriers and suggesting future research topics. A theoretical frame of reference was developed combining four separate fields of theory and 47 personal interviews were carried out within four different categories of actors. The answers were grouped into: regional thinking, location to the Oresund region, importance of infrastructure, logistical competence and external factors. We found that most companies still use separate logistics structures for customers in Scania and in Zealand. However, all respondents agreed that the bridge at least has a psychological importance as a visible symbol of coherence. Educational institutions were considered to be the major possibility/driving factor for economic development. Identified barriers included: A lack of logistics competence, non-harmonised legislation and regulations, the absence of a logistical platform covering Denmark-Scania and industry-academia for the exchange of ideas, experiences and cultural differences. Several proposals for further research were formulated