Frontier Economies Logistics Lab (FELL)

Improving lives in frontier economies.

Arizona State University invites forward-thinking organizations to join the Frontier Economies Logistics Lab (FELL) to develop innovative supply chain strategies and create solutions to improve quality of life and reduce poverty.

Grounded in research produced by the #3-ranked U.S. supply chain and logistics program in ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business, FELL will bring together organizations that are working to develop profitable solutions to deliver products and services to the world’s most disadvantaged populations. FELL will focus on member organization challenges and work to uncover solutions for developing, sourcing, manufacturing and distributing products and services to fast-growing low-income countries around the world.

Member organizations will drive the research agenda and have access to ASU researchers and resources.

• The FELL mission is to become the world–premier participant-driven laboratory for researchers and organizations pursuing new solutions and continuous improvement in frontier economy logistics and supply chains.
• FELL will seek to improve the lives of people in frontier economies by creating innovative solutions to cost-effectively deliver products and services in challenging environments.

Seize opportunities, and mitigate risks.

For organizations operating in mature markets in North America and Europe, explosive urbanization, economic growth and consumer demand in these frontier economies provide incredible opportunity for innovation and profitable growth. And with millions of people surviving on less than two dollars per day and 65 million refugees straining already stressed infrastructure and social safety nets, there is enormous opportunity for organizations to achieve societal awards while also enlarging markets and profits.

Frontier economies represent some of the most exciting growth prospects for the coming decades. Their populations are young and growing rapidly. By 2050, for example, Africa will be home to more people than China— including 20 percent of the world’s population under 20 years of age.

There are challenges, of course. Politically manipulated markets, weak legal systems, corruption, poor infrastructure and complex access to private capital are persistent — but surmountable — problems. It is important that organizations learn how to thrive in environments that may be hostile.

The organizations that have access to the best available research and a proving ground for piloting innovative approaches in logistics and supply chain management will have an advantage as frontier economies grow and develop as expected.