Portorož, Slovenia | 8–10 April 2026
The TRACE project was successfully showcased at the 13th International Logistics Congress – Supply Chains in Science and Practice, one of the leading logistics events in Central and South-Eastern Europe. Held in Portorož, Slovenia, the congress brought together more than 700 participants from over 30 countries, including logistics companies, transport operators, manufacturing and retail companies, technology providers, researchers, students, and policy makers.
The University of Maribor (UM) actively contributed to the congress, presenting the TRACE project and its vision for developing innovative, sustainable, and AI-supported logistics solutions that will strengthen the resilience and efficiency of future supply chains. Through its participation, TRACE highlighted how advanced digital technologies, data-driven decision-making, and artificial intelligence can support the transformation of modern logistics ecosystems.
A key contribution to the scientific programme was made by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tomislav Letnik, who moderated the International Academic Symposium dedicated to the application of Artificial Intelligence in logistics. The discussions reflected ongoing research conducted within the Transport Economics Research Centre at the University of Maribor and showcased how projects such as TRACE contribute to advancing intelligent, sustainable, and future-oriented transport and logistics systems.
The congress also featured an International Student Hackathon, where multidisciplinary teams from universities across Europe collaborated to address emerging logistics challenges. The event encouraged innovation, teamwork, and practical problem-solving, while demonstrating the importance of engaging the next generation of logistics professionals. The University of Maribor celebrated the success of transportation engineering student Špela Predan, who was part of the winning team.
Participation in the congress provided an excellent opportunity to disseminate TRACE’s objectives and expected impact to a highly relevant international audience while strengthening collaboration between academia, industry, and public stakeholders. Throughout the event, participants expressed strong interest in digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and sustainable solutions for resilient supply chains, generating valuable discussions and new networking opportunities for the project.
TRACE thanks the Slovenian Logistics Association, the organisers, partners, and all participants for an inspiring event that successfully connected science and practice while shaping the future of logistics.
About the Event
The 13th International Logistics Congress – Supply Chains in Science and Practice focused on the future of logistics, technological innovation, artificial intelligence, digitalisation, resilience, and stronger collaboration between research and industry. The 2026 edition introduced several new international initiatives, including the International Academic Symposium, the TelematicsCEEurope Conference & Expo, and the International Student Hackathon, further strengthening the congress as a premier platform for knowledge exchange and innovation in logistics.
