Beyond Supply The CSCMP Spain Newsletter Ep 14

Editor’s Note 🖊️

Hello Supply Chain Professionals,It’s great to reconnect once again. For those who are new to our community, I’m Cristian Ferreyra, leading this monthly editor’s note for "Beyond Supply" the CSCMP Spain Roundtable Newsletter.

We began 2026 amid renewed turbulence. As we all know one of the world’s most powerful nations launched a targeted attack to capture a self-proclaimed enemy—viewed by some as a dictator or terrorist, by others as the legitimate leader of a sovereign state. Perspectives differ, but the conclusion stays the same: uncertainty, volatility, and complexity are here to stay.

This is not new. In 2020, the pandemic revealed the lack of enforceable global rules in times of crisis. Under pressure, countries seized vaccines and medical equipment from rightful owners, invoking exceptional circumstances. These actions eroded trust, disrupted supply chains, and exposed how fragile international cooperation becomes when national interests prevail over shared governance.

In 2022, the mass launch of ChatGPT democratized advanced AI, making powerful technology accessible to thousands of businesses. Its impact has since reshaped how corporations operate, develop products, allocate capital, and even evaluate their workforce. Now, the global race to conquer AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) is driving unprecedented waves of investment, with billions funneled into the hands of a few dominant players. Strategic decisions made by a small group of corporations and governments now carry consequences for the entire world, shaping economies, labor markets, and societal norms at a global scale.

Also, let’s not forget we started 2025 with the US revised trade rules by reassessing tariffs and eliminating the de minimis threshold, raising compliance costs and slowing cross-border ecommerce. Together, these shifts pushed companies to rethink global sourcing, accelerating reshoring and nearshoring to restore predictability, resilience, and regulatory control.

Now, for 2026 many things are to be expected.

Supply chains will shift from reacting to disruption toward institutionalizing it.

• Tariffs and trade friction are aiming to evolve as permanent design constraints, accelerating selective nearshoring and regional supply networks rather than full reshoring.

• Cross-border ecommerce will recalibrate after the end of de minimis, pushing companies to prioritize margin, localized inventory, and tighter fulfillment control.

• Cost, compliance, and origin strategy will increasingly be defined at the product-design stage, not negotiated after the fact.

• AI will move from experimentation to governance, with greater emphasis on human oversight, reskilling, and decision accountability as workforce impacts intensify.

• Cybersecurity and geopolitical risk will become measurable KPIs, as boards demand stress-tested, resilient supply chains built for a structurally unstable global environment.

• Talent will emerge as a critical constraint as demand will rise for professionals who combine supply chain expertise with digital, geopolitical, and AI literacy—skills

All of this will happen, and we must be ready to face major chances in our day to day business.

At CSCMP Spain RT, we are committed to bringing these discussions to the forefront, increasing visibility while creating valuable networking opportunities through webinars and events ...by the way, this year, we hosted a major gathering in Madrid more info below 👇.

Thank you for starting 2026 by reading us. Exciting developments lie ahead, so fasten your seatbelts.

Cristian Ferreyra

— VP of Marketing & Communication CSCMP Spain RT

Interesting readings 👓

AIMMS: EU-Mercosur Trade Deal: What It Means for Your Supply Chain Network / https://www.aimms.com/story/eu-mercosur-trade-deal-what-it-means-for-your-supply-chain-network/

WEF: Physical AI in the supply chain: How its promise can be realized / https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/01/physical-ai-in-the-supply-chain-how-its-promise-can-be-realized/

SCMR: Frontline workers are becoming the center of AI-driven supply chains / https://www.scmr.com/article/frontline-workers-are-becoming-the-center-of-ai-driven-supply-chains

BUSINESS STANDARD: India, EU discuss opportunities for integrating defence supply chains / https://www.business-standard.com/external-affairs-defence-security/news/india-eu-discuss-opportunities-for-integrating-defence-supply-chains-126012700413_1.html

Must Watch Videos 📺

Raw Day Inside AI Logistics Startup in Silicon Valley. If you think AI is just hype, meet the team proving otherwise. — In this episode, we go behind the scenes with the founders of Pallet, a logistics AI startup introduced to me by Bain Capital Ventures, that’s raised $27M led by General Catalyst to automate the backbone of global trade. Unlike most AI agents that demo well but fail in production, Pallet’s system is being deployed across real logistics teams, automating tasks, processing documents, and operating inside legacy systems where no other AI works. This isn’t a flashy pitch. It’s deep tech, built for an industry where accuracy is non-negotiable.

Leaps in Logistics | Where the Internet Lives . — Where the Internet Lives is a Webby Award–winning podcast and mini-documentary series about the fascinating world of data centers. This film features Dexory, a trailblazing London-based robotics and AI company, and its dynamic co-founder, Google alumna Oana Jinga. Dexory is leading the transformation of warehouse logistics with its 46-foot autonomous robot, the tallest in the world, which uses advanced sensors to scan over 100,000 pallets daily.

📣Official Announcement📣

CSCMP Edge Europe 2026

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals Spain Roundtable has the privilege to announce the CSCMP EDGE Europe & ERS Madrid 2026. The event will take place on June 11–12 at Castellana 81, Madrid, bringing together Europe’s supply chain leaders under the theme Beyond Efficiency: Redefining Supply Chain Value.

This two-day industry gathering will explore how innovation, collaboration, and strategic resilience are reshaping supply chains in an increasingly complex global environment. The conference features four thematic tracks: Digital Future & Operational Excellence; People, Capability & Culture; Risk, Resilience & Strategic Autonomy; and Collaborative Supply Chains & Sustainability.

Confirmed Keynote speakers include Daniel Stanton —Mr Supply Chain—, Jochen Grosspietsch —Chief Supply Chain Officer @ Mango—, Luis Eduardo Solís —Director Advanced Learning Innovation @ IE Business School—, and Carol Ptak — Partner @ Demand Driven Institute—, offering practical insights, real-world case studies, and forward-looking perspectives.

Hosted in an iconic building, a protected architectural landmark in Madrid, CSCMP EDGE Europe 2026 will also welcome the European Research Seminar (ERS) on Logistics & SCM, strengthening ties between industry and academia. A call for speakers and sponsors is now open, inviting partners to engage with senior supply chain professionals from across Europe.

Top Podcast🎙️

Beyond the Hype: Decoding AI in Supply Chains. Artificial Intelligence is frequently hailed as a transformative force for global supply chains, yet the gap between technological promise and operational reality remains a central challenge for industry leaders. In this episode, host Dr. Matthias Winkenbach, Director of Research at MIT CTL, leads a nuanced discussion on the transition from AI hype to the implementation of functional "decision technology."

Stay Connected 🤝

Have ideas or topics you’d love to see? We’re all ears! Stay connected, stay inspired and let’s shape the future of supply chain together! 🚀.

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