Innovation in industrial logistics was at the heart of the 2025 edition of the SMILE (Smart Management in Industrial and Logistics Engineering) International Conference, recently organised in Casablanca at the initiative of the Centre of Excellence in Logistics (CELOG) of the Higher School of Textile and Clothing Industries (ESITH) and the Chair for Transport, Circular Economy and Sustainable Logistics Chains (TEC-LOGd) of the Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France (UPHF).
Bringing together nearly 100 participants from various countries, this conference serves as a platform for exchange between researchers, industrial professionals, and students regarding supply chain challenges, as well as innovations in logistics, transport, and industrial engineering.
Speaking on this occasion, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ESITH, Mohamed Lahlou, recalled that ESITH is "the first engineering school in Morocco to have implemented a logistics engineering programme," with several courses offered in this field.
He also highlighted the importance of the themes addressed during this conference, including artificial intelligence, stability, and performance in industrial and logistics challenges, noting that these topics are at the heart of current industry issues, reports MAP.
For his part, Mustapha Hlyal, professor and director of the Centre of Excellence in Logistics (CELOG) at ESITH, noted that this first edition of SMILE aims to strengthen Morocco's position in the field of research in logistics and industrial engineering.
"This conference marks an important step in our mission to develop innovative solutions to meet contemporary logistics challenges, while training the next generation of specialists capable of integrating new technologies into supply chain management," he said.
Prof. Hlyal also highlighted the role of CELOG as a bridge between the academic world and the industrial sector, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and the practical application of advanced research to improve the competitiveness of Moroccan companies on a national and international level.
For his part, Abdessamad Ait El Cadi, professor at the LAMIH UMR CNRS 8201 Laboratory and at INSA HDF, indicated that this conference is part of a collaboration between ESITH and the Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France that began more than 10 years ago.
In this sense, he mentioned the dual degree offered jointly by the two institutions, allowing Moroccan students to continue their studies in France and obtain two degrees, one Moroccan and one French, thus strengthening academic ties between the two countries.
Furthermore, Prof. Joseph Sarkis, from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Business School and holder of the TEC-LOGd Chair of Excellence at UPHF, focused his presentation on major environmental challenges and the importance of the circular economy in logistics systems.
He revisited the interconnection of environmental problems at different scales (global, regional, and local), noting that decisions made in logistics and transport have direct implications for the environment, whether regarding deforestation, wetlands, or other ecosystems.
This conference aims to explore innovative solutions to the growing constraints of logistics systems linked to the scarcity of natural resources, population growth, and socio-environmental crises, with a particular focus on the use of emerging technologies and the application of circular economy principles.
The best papers presented at this conference will be published in the IEEE Engineering Management Review (Q2) journal, while all papers selected by the scientific committee will appear in the Scopus-indexed journal MDPI - Engineering Proceedings, thus ensuring a wide international dissemination of the work presented.
Bringing together nearly 100 participants from various countries, this conference serves as a platform for exchange between researchers, industrial professionals, and students regarding supply chain challenges, as well as innovations in logistics, transport, and industrial engineering.
Speaking on this occasion, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ESITH, Mohamed Lahlou, recalled that ESITH is "the first engineering school in Morocco to have implemented a logistics engineering programme," with several courses offered in this field.
He also highlighted the importance of the themes addressed during this conference, including artificial intelligence, stability, and performance in industrial and logistics challenges, noting that these topics are at the heart of current industry issues, reports MAP.
For his part, Mustapha Hlyal, professor and director of the Centre of Excellence in Logistics (CELOG) at ESITH, noted that this first edition of SMILE aims to strengthen Morocco's position in the field of research in logistics and industrial engineering.
"This conference marks an important step in our mission to develop innovative solutions to meet contemporary logistics challenges, while training the next generation of specialists capable of integrating new technologies into supply chain management," he said.
Prof. Hlyal also highlighted the role of CELOG as a bridge between the academic world and the industrial sector, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and the practical application of advanced research to improve the competitiveness of Moroccan companies on a national and international level.
For his part, Abdessamad Ait El Cadi, professor at the LAMIH UMR CNRS 8201 Laboratory and at INSA HDF, indicated that this conference is part of a collaboration between ESITH and the Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France that began more than 10 years ago.
In this sense, he mentioned the dual degree offered jointly by the two institutions, allowing Moroccan students to continue their studies in France and obtain two degrees, one Moroccan and one French, thus strengthening academic ties between the two countries.
Furthermore, Prof. Joseph Sarkis, from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Business School and holder of the TEC-LOGd Chair of Excellence at UPHF, focused his presentation on major environmental challenges and the importance of the circular economy in logistics systems.
He revisited the interconnection of environmental problems at different scales (global, regional, and local), noting that decisions made in logistics and transport have direct implications for the environment, whether regarding deforestation, wetlands, or other ecosystems.
This conference aims to explore innovative solutions to the growing constraints of logistics systems linked to the scarcity of natural resources, population growth, and socio-environmental crises, with a particular focus on the use of emerging technologies and the application of circular economy principles.
The best papers presented at this conference will be published in the IEEE Engineering Management Review (Q2) journal, while all papers selected by the scientific committee will appear in the Scopus-indexed journal MDPI - Engineering Proceedings, thus ensuring a wide international dissemination of the work presented.