At the awards ceremony, the jury stressed that Tapaninen is a prominent advocate for logistics and shipping, who has actively highlighted the necessity of a transition to environmentally sustainable transport and shipping and criticised the impact of transport support measures on the competitiveness of companies. ‘Ulla is a strong initiator, debater, and influencer in the field of logistics,’ said jury member Anna Aminoff.

‘The era of dominance of the fossil fuel-based transport system is coming to an end, and every logistics company needs to have a strategy for transitioning to carbon-neutral operations,’ says Ulla Tapaninen, who also stresses the importance of risk management and security of supply in the logistics sector wherever possible. In her opinion, businesses should not rely on social support systems, be they tax exemptions or, for example, fuel price subsidies. ‘Various business support schemes are not an opportunity for sustainable business, but a direct risk.’

During her career, Tapaninen has worked in the public sector as well as in academia and business. She is passionate about the digitalisation of shipping and environmental issues. Since spring 2021, she has been the professor of maritime transport at the Estonian Maritime Academy of Tallinn University of Technology.

LOGY (Suomen Osto- Ja Logistiikkayhdistys in Finnish) presented the awards to the best of 2022 at the annual LOGY Conference, this time held on 9 February at the Little Finlandia Centre in Helsinki.