Smart Supply Chain Research Institute of Food Industry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology

The Smart Supply Chain Research Institute of Food Industry (SSCRI) started in May 2016 and was officially established in June 2018. The local government recognizes the team as the "Food Industry Smart Logistics System Construction Team." The research institute focuses on the construction and innovative development of the "Management Science and Engineering" discipline and is devoted to innovative theoretical exploration and practical application research.

Prof. Mu Jing, Ph.D., the head of the research institute, is a full professor and doctoral advisor. She is a visiting scholar at the Fisher School of Business at Ohio State University in the United States. She is a leader in establishing the "Logistics Management" major at a nationally recognized first-class professional development site and plays a key role in the "Management Science and Engineering" discipline within Tianjin's priority academic fields. Furthermore, she hosts the China Logistics Society's industry-university research base. She has been acknowledged as a leading talent in Tianjin's university disciplines and a leader of innovation teams within Tianjin's higher education institutions. Additionally, she is an expert at the Tianjin Business Environment Think Tank and a top specialist at the "Professor Innovation Studio" of Tianjin University of Science and Technology.

The research institute is at the forefront of academic research on systems science and agricultural supply chain management. We utilize complex systems and network theory, intelligent knowledge management theory, and behavioral operations research theory to conduct interdisciplinary studies, leveraging our school’s strengths in "Food Science." Our focus includes enhancing research on intelligent logistics and supply chain management theory, as well as food supply chain decision analysis and optimization, collaborative innovation in intelligent supply chains, and knowledge ecology management. Our key areas of study encompass: (1) intelligent logistics and supply chain management within the food industry; (2) decision analysis and optimization of food supply chains; and (3) management of the smart supply chain knowledge ecosystem in the food sector.

Since its establishment, the research institute has embraced a team culture characterized by being "thoughtful and knowledgeable, diligent and practical, cooperative and mutually beneficial, and pursuing excellence." This commitment has led to fruitful research outcomes and numerous awards. In 2017, we received the title of Tianjin Higher Education Innovation Team and served as the chief editor for four textbooks covering undergraduate, master's, and doctoral studies. The postgraduate students include three doctoral students and over 80 master's students.

The team has led and undertaken a total of 30 projects, which include four funded by the National Social Science Fund, one by the National Natural Science Foundation, six research projects funded by the Ministry of Education in humanities and social sciences, one project under the 13th Five Year Plan for National Education Science, 20 other provincial and ministerial-level projects, 10 bureau-level projects, and eight horizontal projects. Additionally, the team has published a total of 90 papers, including 20 indexed by SSCI/SCI, 57 indexed by CSSCI/CSCD, and 10 indexed by Renmin University of China, along with 10 academic monographs and has obtained 10 patents.

The institute is staffed by a team of distinguished scholars. Our research has been published in leading academic journals, such as the European Journal of Operational Research, Transportation Research Part A, Part E, Computers & Industrial Engineering, Applied Mathematical Modelling, Transportmetrica B: Transport Dynamics, Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment, Soft Computing and many others. Our work also appears in mainstream Chinese journals such as Chinese Management Science, Journal of Systems Engineering, Scientific Research, Journal of Intelligence, Operations Research and Management, etc.

The team has won a total of 16 awards at or above the provincial and ministerial levels, including 8 second and third prizes for outstanding achievements in social sciences at the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 17th Tianjin editions, one first prize for outstanding achievements in humanities and social sciences at universities in Shandong Province, eight science and technology awards from the China Business Federation, and three prizes for excellent decision-making consulting research achievements in Tianjin. Two team members were selected as part of Tianjin's third level of "131" innovative talents, and one member was chosen as a key discipline of young creative talent in Tianjin.

At the same time, the institute's research achievements—including the development of a multidimensional integrated regulatory system and the promotion of multiparty responsibility for collaborative prevention and control, as well as innovations in food and fresh supply chain technology—have found broad application in food supply chain management. These efforts have elicited positive social responses and have been reported on by news outlets such as China Food News.

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