Exploring Digital Distribution & Additive Manufacturing, Industrial Sustainability, and the Future of Decentralized Supply Chains w/ Espen Sivertsen of Ivaldi (SAP.iO)
- S1E41
- 26:00
- October 19th 2020
The purpose of a supply chain is to move goods and services around the world to meet user demand. And over decades, we’ve built coupled-networks based on principles of regionalization or centralization of function, location, and cost efficiency. COVID is an example of the uncertainty supply chains face on a day-to-day basis derived from old-school thinking and design.
Imagine a world where supply chains are flipped upside down, a world where we send files, not parts? A world that empowers the end consumer to produce what is needed on-demand through cloud based technology, including recycling on site in a circular transition?
In Episode 41, CEO of Ivaldi (Espen Sivertsen) joins Sheri Hinish to talk about the future of digital supply chains, on-demand additive manufacturing and the business case for change, industrial sustainability, and the power of diversity in technology. Espen is part of the SAP.iO Foundry bootcamp and shares observations he’s gathered from Silicon Valley and beyond, that diversity fuels innovation. Segments Ivaldi serves include maritime, industrial, mining, energy (gas turbines and power plants), and automotive.
One of Espen’s guiding quotes are “we did not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” He also dives into the sustainability aspects on on-demand, additive, local manufacturing environments through digital distribution. Digital distribution is the process of sending digital part files to local manufacturers for on-demand production and distribution. Digital distribution bypasses physical distribution limitations such as sourcing disruptions, carry costs, late shipments, minimum quantities, obsolete inventory and environmental contamination by storing parts in a virtual warehouse and only manufacturing parts when and where they are needed through a distributed network of local manufacturers. As production tools such as 3D printing, robotic fabrication and other CNC systems get faster, better and cheaper, an increasing range of parts can be cost-effective to manufacture on-demand. Digital distribution is fundamentally changing supply chain dynamics as user-needs supplant centralized manufacturing limitations as the driving force in the industry.
This episode is part of a new partnership highlighting innovation and diversity in supply chain start ups at SAP.iO. To learn more, visit https://sap.io/ Shout out to John Licata for making the introductions!
To learn more about Ivaldi, visit https://www.ivaldi.io/
Find us, connect, and explore at https://www.supplychainrevolution.com/ & https://www.supplychainqueen.com
Supply Chain Revolution
The Supply Chain Revolution Podcast is where global leaders in sustainability, AI, and supply chain reimagine the future of business. Hosted by Sheri Hinish, the Supply Chain Queen, this award-winning show explores bold ideas at the intersection of supply chain, circular economy, innovation, technology, ESG, and leadership.
Each episode features candid conversations with C-suite executives, investors, academics, policymakers, and entrepreneurs who are shaping how organizations create value in a rapidly changing world. From decarbonization and digital transformation to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we unpack strategies that accelerate progress and challenge the status quo.
Listeners gain:
- Actionable insights on AI, data, blockchain, robotics, and sustainable finance
- Big ideas in circularity, climate tech, and responsible compute
- Inspiration from stories of leaders driving transformation across industries
The Supply Chain Revolution podcast host has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Forbes, The Economist, and ESG Today, and recognized as a Top 100 Leadership Podcast. It is the go-to resource for professionals and change makers looking to stay ahead of the curve, strengthen leadership, and shape a more sustainable future.
Sheri Hinish, known globally as the Supply Chain Queen, is an executive strategist, board advisor, and award-winning sustainability leader. She has been named among the Top 100 Women in Supply Chain, a multi-year “Pro to Know”, and one of the Top 250 Global Leaders in Sustainability.
Join the revolution—because supply chains can save the planet, save lives, and build a better world.
Learn more at www.supplychainqueen.com
Keywords: supply chain podcast, sustainability podcast, circular economy, climate tech, AI, ESG, innovation, leadership, digital transformation, diversity and inclusion
Learn more at supplychainqueen.com
My purpose is to make a meaningful impact for the clients, colleagues, partners, and communities I serve. I have spent my career at the intersection of supply chain, sustainability and innovation in large-scale transformation. I’d love to walk with you on your journey.
I'm the Founder and Host of the Supply Chain Revolution podcast. In my day role, I currently serve as the Global Consulting Sustainability Services, Technology + Ecosystems Leader at EY serving across sectors, alliances, sustainability solutions, and digital ventures. I formerly led Sustainability Services + Alliances at IBM with a passion for sustainable supply chain, circularity, and hardening emerging sustainability tech use cases.
Colleagues and clients affectionately call me the nickname “Supply Chain Queen.” I'm recognized as a trusted partner that F500 companies consistently leverage for connected transformation, end-to-end digital supply chain, purpose-driven leadership, and disruptive thinking in embedding sustainability and emerging innovation in transformations.
Recent awards include: Top 250 leaders in Sustainability (2025), Leaders in Excellence, Supply & Demand Chain Executive (2025), Top 100 Women in Sustainability and Supply Chain (2024), Top 50 influencer in Sustainability by Onalytica (2023), 100 Women in 2023 by March8 Magazine, the 2021 #1 Supply Chain Leader by Supply Chain Digital, a 2022, 2021, 2020 & 2019 Supply & Demand Chain Executive "Pro to Know," the "People's Choice 2020 Global Woman in Supply Chain Leader,” and a Corporate Vision Excellence award in 2020.
I’m a Rebel who loves creating, building, and bringing out the best in people, helping to grow high-performance teams. I've made a career in turn-around and scaling high growth opportunities (product, solutions, infrastructure for practice areas and alliances), simplifying the complex, rethinking paradigms for F500 clients, mainly in CPG, Financial Services, Retail, Advanced Manufacturing, Chemicals and Energy.
I am a graduate lecturer in Sustainability at the University of Arkansas and have a Masters from Harvard University with emphasis in Sustainability + Liberal Arts. I hold 2 credentials from Rutgers University with highest distinction (Beta Gamma Sigma), an MS in Supply Chain Management, and a Mini-MBA in Digital Supply Chain. I also have a BS in Business, Supply Chain Management (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Maryland. I hold an IBM Industry Academy Expert designation (in Consumer), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt.
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