Logistics of Critical Supply and Resilience During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Norway

Abstract

The covid-19 pandemic has challenged the logistics of critical supplies such as food, fuel, and necessary medical supplies. A research project was executed to document how regional actors in the transport sector handle the logistic challenges during the pandemic in 2020, in Mid-Norway. Key research questions were: (1) How is demand and logistics impacted by the pandemic (especially on critical supplies);(2) What is the impact on and between transport modes (e.g. air, sea, road, rail), and their ability to operate as normal;and (3) What is the effect on Norwegian import and export activities? This paper presents the results of a limited literature review on the risks of a pandemic on critical supplies, and systematic interviews of key actors in transportation and logistics. Eleven candidates were interviewed in the period April to June 2020 and then analysed. In addition, nine candidates were approached for more informal conversations. All candidates were interviewed minimum two times to identify possible effects from the pandemic over a period. Key findings show that logistics of critical supplies have been identified as an area in national risk assessments but has not been prioritized through actual action plans. Furthermore, the project discovered poor emergency preparedness and poor preparedness in logistics operations, although mitigated by the ability to improvise and use of existing resources to ensure necessary supply of critical items. © ESREL 2021. Published by Research Publishing, Singapore.