Colombian Transport Economist Receives International Research Award
Leipzig/ Paris, 22 May 2025
Felipe Bedoya Maya, a Colombian doctoral student at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, will today receive the 2025 Young Researcher Award of the International Transport Forum (ITF). Mr. Bedoya’s research on how to protect supply chains against disruptions was selected as an outstanding contribution to the theme of the ITF Annual Summit 2025, “Transport Resilience to Global Shocks”.
For his case study, Mr. Bedoya used the method of network analysis to identify vulnerabilities in one of Europe’s most important logistics routes, the so-called Rhine-Alpine Corridor. The Corridor links the North Sea ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, Europe’s largest, with the Port of Genoa on the Mediterranean Sea, passing through five countries on the way (see map below).
In examining the submissions from 18 countries, the international jury of six transport experts from academia and government was particularly impressed by Mr. Bedoya’s methodological rigor and his innovative approach. The jury also emphasized the enormous relevance of his study which can help to protect a vital arteria of not only European but global trade against external shocks.
Mr Bedoya earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in economics from EAFIT University in Medellin, in his native Colombia. He also pursued studies both in Germany and worked as a research economist at the Inter-American Development Bank before embarking on his PhD at the University of Antwerp.
The Award will be presented today (22 May) during the Annual Summit of the International Transport Forum in Leipzig, Germany. The ITF Summit is the world’s largest gathering of transport ministers and a leading platform for dialogue on transport policy.
The ITF Young Researcher Award recognises the work of early-career researchers under the age of 35 whose work contributes to better transport policy. The Award underscores the ITF’s commitment to fostering high-quality, research-based policymaking and strengthening its ties with the academic community. The winning paper by Felipe Bedoya Maya, “Resilience in inland shipping: A network analysis of the Rhine-Alpine Corridor under global disruptions” is soon to be published.
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