[Athena] Conference announcement and CFP on Logistics in a Historical Perspective

[listes AT ahicf.com]

 

13– 14 November 2015

"Just in time" – Logistik in historischer Perspektive / "Just in time" – Logistics in a Historical Perspective. 38th Conference of the Iron Library on the History of Technology 2015

Eisenbibliothek, Schaffhausen, Switzerland

CFP – Deadline 31 March 2015

The 38th History of Technology Conference will be held at the Klostergut Paradies in Schlatt, Switzerland on 13 and 14 November 2015. The Conference has served as an outstanding platform for the exchange of ideas between research, teaching and industry since 1978. The speakers and the invited guests come from universities, libraries, collections and museums or contribute their business and industrial experience. The conferences are renowned for the breadth and topicality of the papers presented.

This international and interdisciplinary event is organized by the Iron Library (Eisenbibliothek), Foundation of Georg Fischer Ltd. Responsibility for the content of the conference is in the hands of Kilian T. Elsasser (Museumsfabrik Lucerne), Prof. Reinhold Reith (University of Salzburg) and Prof. Friedrich Steinle (TU Berlin), and it is they who decide on the selection of the speakers.

We kindly invite interested persons involved in research, teaching and practice to apply to present a paper.

Conference topic in 2015: "Just in time" – Logistics in an Historical Perspective

Just in time: This approach to logistics was developed by Taiichi Ohno in the 1970s and 1980s in the Japanese automotive industry and has since established itself as the standard method. But the challenge of just in time – getting a product in the right condition to the right place at the right time – is by no means a modern conundrum. If by logistics we mean generally the planning and organization of persons, goods, resources and information so that they are available within a given space and period of time, then the construction of the ancient Egyptian pyramids and the huge cathedrals of the Middle Ages must also be considered as logistical enterprises and challenges.

The Iron Library is devoting its History of Technology Conference in 2015 to the topic of logistics in an historical perspective. The topics range from the organization of large-scale commercial enterprises such as the Fuggers to logistics in the military sphere and tourism infrastructure right up to industrial logistics and processes and challenges in the modern industrial world.

Format

The papers may be delivered in German or English and should not be longer than 30 minutes (incl. the discussion time). Papers that have been prepared to scientific standards may be selected for publication in the specialized journal Ferrum, which is published annually by the Iron Library.

Synopsis

Interested applicants are kindly invited to submit a synopsis of their paper – no longer than two A4 pages – in German or English, along with an up-to-date resume, by 31 March 2015 to the Head of the Iron Library, lic. phil. Franziska Eggimann (franziska.eggimann AT georgfischer.com).

Organizational matters

The Iron Library, Foundation of Georg Fischer Ltd, will assume speakers' travel expenses and the cost of room and board during the Conference. We expect that speakers will attend the entire Conference.

Timelines

We request you to submit your synopsis by 31 March 2015. 12

 

The selection of the speakers will be completed by the end of May 2015 at the latest.

Please contact Franziska Eggimann, Head Iron Library and Corporate Archivist Georg Fischer Ltd, franziska.eggimann AT georgfischer.com