Crises do not build supply chain resilience; rather, they expose gaps, dependencies, and risks that remained invisible during years of prosperity. Most importantly, they reveal whether resilience was built beforehand. The ability of logistics operators to maintain the continuity of goods flow depends on decisions made in advance, a global presence, a diversified operational network, and the capability to quickly reroute cargo between ports, air terminals, rail, and road transport. How are crises changing the approach to supply chain management? Ewa Włodarczyk, General Manager Eastern Europe at CEVA Logistics, a global 3PL leader, shares her perspective.
The last few years have shown that the greatest challenge for global logistics is no longer just efficiency or cost optimization, but maintaining supply chain resilience. Disruptions caused by geopolitical conflicts, trade tensions, or capacity constraints on strategic transport routes translate into tangible losses for national economies. For example, in maritime transport, it is estimated that disruptions in the functioning of key “bottlenecks” can lead to losses for the global economy exceeding USD 10 billion annually, with rising freight costs causing additional burdens estimated at USD 3.4 billion. This directly affects companies across various economic sectors – from automotive and food production to electronics. The consequences include component availability issues, production continuity disruptions, and rising operating costs.
Effective risk management today requires prior preparation of alternative scenarios, building a network of interconnected transport solutions, and, above all, the ability to implement them quickly. It is no coincidence that more and more companies are moving away from models based on a single dominant port, terminal, or transport corridor. They are increasingly utilizing alternative seaports, airports, rail and road connections, and multimodal transport solutions, allowing them to flexibly adapt supply chains to changing conditions.
A good example of this approach is CEVA Logistics’ response to the recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Instead of launching a single alternative route, a comprehensive system of interconnected transport solutions was implemented. CEVA Logistics launched alternative transport services, including transport corridors running through Turkey, sea-air solutions, rail transport, and TIR operations, supported by its own road transport network in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region.
This enabled the rapid rerouting of cargo flows and ensured supply chain continuity despite disruptions affecting one of the world’s most important trade routes.
This experience also highlights another important fact: the security of supply chains in one region often depends on the operational potential and logistics networks developed in completely different markets and locations. The ability to immediately redirect operations to alternative ports, terminals, warehouses, or transport corridors is only possible if the logistics operator has a sufficiently extensive global operational network, strong relationships with proven partners and carriers, and advanced technologies for managing operations and shipment visibility.
The role of Central and Eastern Europe
In this context, Central and Eastern Europe is gaining increasing importance. The region is no longer viewed solely as a base with cheap labor for production or as a transit area. Its true potential lies in its strategic location as a key logistics hub for Europe. Extensive warehouse, road, rail, air, and maritime infrastructure, combined with the developing capacity of intermodal terminals and access to Baltic Sea ports, enables the region to play a significant role in maintaining supply chain continuity, especially during times of disruption.
A new definition of logistics
Flexibility, agility, and an integrated approach will define the direction of modern logistics development in the coming years. Competitive advantage will belong not to operators with only a single alternative route, but to those who can redesign an entire supply chain within hours, leveraging the strength of their global networks. Resilience is no longer an add-on to efficiency – it has become its fundamental condition and an investment that delivers value precisely when unforeseen disruptions occur.