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Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 14584

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jianghang Chen

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Guest Editor

International Business School Suzhou, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
Interests: decision-support systems; supply chain management; logistics and transportation; optimization and simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

To reduce climate change, severe environmental degradation and social poverty and inequality, an increasing number of governments and companies are pledging to support carbon neutrality and sustainable development. Evidently, sustainability is playing a vital role in today's society and is constantly urging businesses to transform and evolve in order to adapt to a more dynamic business world with stringent environmental and social legislation and policies. Such a pro-sustainability trend has created pressing challenges for many industry sectors, such as the field of logistics and supply chain management (SCM). For instance, the European Union has proposed an effective ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035. The phaseout of diesel engine vehicles is sure to influence logistics companies' service capacity and network planning in Europe. Another compelling observation is that a rising number of multinational corporations have pledged to only work with suppliers that adhere to social and environmental standards. As a result, many organizations in the logistics and supply chain sector have realized the importance of sustainability and have started to seek solutions through innovative exploration such as by creating new business models (such as shared economy and resource pooling), implementing emerging technologies (such as big data, artificial intelligence, data-driven information technologies and new energy technologies), and experimenting with high-level system integration and/or interdisciplinary approaches (such as combining finance and supply chains and the integrated planning of both vehicle routing and warehouse management in logistics).

The aim of this Special Issue is to discuss and explore types of innovative approaches that could be utilized to enhance logistics and supply chain organizations' sustainable capability and to what extent these innovations could enable organizations to reduce risks and gain profits in the long run. Researchers are invited to contribute their perspectives on how the triple bottom lines (economy, society and environment) may be considered in logistics and SCM using creative business models, appropriate framework, mathematical model, and case and empirical studies. Suggested topics are as follows (but not limited to):

Innovative business models for sustainable logistics and SCM;
Emerging technology’s application to achieve sustainability in logistics and SCM;
Green and sustainable technology’s measurement and assessment;
Sustainable agriculture logistics and SCM;
Sustainability-related case studies on E-commerce/E-logistics;
Modeling and optimization of sustainable manufacturing systems;
Green product and process design in a sustainable supply chain;
Sustainable operations in production and inventory management;
Key drivers to sustainability in supply chains: theoretical methods and case studies;
Interdisciplinary approaches to promote sustainable development in logistics and SCM;
Integrated planning and scheduling for complex logistics systems with the aim of sustainability.

I also welcome other relevant topics from potential contributors.

Dr. Jianghang Chen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainability
innovative technologies
logistics
supply chain management
business models
mathematical modeling
case and empirical studies

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 2489 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supply Strategies and Business Model Options for Online Retailers of Agricultural Products

by Chenxing Li and Xianliang Shi

Sustainability 2024, 16(20), 8734; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208734 - 10 Oct 2024

Viewed by 823

Abstract

Online retail of agricultural products is an emerging form of online shopping that has enormous value for researching sustainable agricultural product logistics and the sustainability of e-commerce. By reviewing these practices in China, this paper summarizes three models of online retail of agricultural products: community group buying, prepositioned warehousing, and a mixed model in which the former two are carried out simultaneously. This paper considers the uncertainty of demand and applies the newsboy model to obtain the expected profit function of the three models. The paper proves that the objective functions of the optimization models are all convex functions of the supply capacity. The optimal supply strategy and the expression for each business model are then derived. Next, the intervals for enterprises to choose the profit-optimal business model are given and visually demonstrated through graphs. These findings lead to managerial insights: in economically underdeveloped regions, it is appropriate for enterprises to conduct community group buying businesses; in economically developed regions, it is appropriate for enterprises to conduct prepositioned warehouse businesses; and in regions with average economic development, it is appropriate for enterprises to conduct both businesses. Finally, this paper verifies the optimal supply strategy for the online retail model for agricultural products through numerical experiments and sensitivity analyses for different cost parameters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition)

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27 pages, 3013 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Enterprise Supply Chain Digitalization on Cost of Debt: A Four-Flows Perspective Analysis Using Explainable Machine Learning Methodology

by Hongqin Tang, Jianping Zhu, Nan Li and Weipeng Wu

Sustainability 2024, 16(19), 8702; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198702 - 9 Oct 2024

Viewed by 1301

Abstract

Rising costs, complex supply chain management, and stringent regulations have created significant financial burdens on business sustainability, calling for new and rapid strategies to help enterprises transform. Supply chain digitalization (SCD) has emerged as a promising approach in the context of digitalization and globalization, with the potential to reduce an enterprise’s debt costs. Developing a strategic framework for SCD that effectively reduces the cost of debt (CoD) has become a key academic challenge, critical for ensuring business sustainability. To this end, under the perspective of four flows, SCD is deconstructed into four distinct features: logistics flow digitalization (LFD), product flow digitalization (PFD), information flow digitalization (IFD), and capital flow digitalization (CFD). To precisely measure the four SCD features and the dependent variable, COD, publicly available data from Chinese listed manufacturing enterprises such as annual report texts and financial statement data are collected, and various data mining technologies are also used to conduct data measurement and data processing. To comprehensively investigate the impact pattern of SCD on CoD, we employed the explainable machine learning methodology for data analysis. This methodology involved in-depth data discussions, cross-validation utilizing a series of machine learning models, and the utilization of Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) to explain the results generated by the models. To conduct sensitivity analysis, permutation feature importance (PFI) and partial dependence plots (PDPs) were also incorporated as supplementary explanatory methods, providing additional insights into the model’s explainability. Through the aforementioned research processes, the following findings are obtained: SCD can play a role in reducing CoD, but the effects of different SCD features are not exactly the same. Among the four SCD features, LFD, PFD, and IFD have the potential to significantly reduce CoD, with PFD having the most substantial impact, followed by LFD and IFD. In contrast, CFD has a relatively weak impact, and its role is challenging to discern. These findings provide significant guidance for enterprises in furthering their digitalization and supply chain development, helping them optimize SCD strategies more accurately to reduce CoD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition)

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13 pages, 641 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adoption of Multi-Modal Transportation for Configuring Sustainable Agri-Food Supply Chains in Constrained Environments

by Chethana Chandrasiri, Senevi Kiridena, Subodha Dharmapriya and Asela K. Kulatunga

Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7601; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177601 - 2 Sep 2024

Viewed by 1005

Abstract

Agri-food supply chains have the potential to make a significant contribution to achieving sustainable development goals through ongoing improvements in their configurations. A range of strategic, tactical, and operational level decisions pertaining to the design and operation of sustainable supply chains have been studied in the extant literature. However, investigations into the adoption of multi-modal transportation as a strategic decision in the context of agri-food supply chains operating in constrained environments are limited. As such, in this study, the adoption of bi-modal transportation for the domestic vegetable supply chain in a developing country context under certain constraints was examined. A mixed-integer linear programming model was developed to determine the volume and direction of the product flow to achieve the minimum total food-miles and smallest emissions footprint. As a case study, a Sri Lankan mainstream vegetable supply chain was used to investigate the applicability of a combination of truck and railway modes to transport vegetables from farms to retailer locations via economic (consolidation) centers. The adoption of a bi-modal transportation structure demonstrated the potential to reduce food miles by 32%, transportation costs by 36%, contributions to global warming potential by 35%, and empty truck hauls by 38%, compared to a structure with truck-based, uni-modal transportation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition)

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25 pages, 1606 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Financing a Capital-Constrained Supply Chain under Risk Regulations: Traditional Finance versus Platform Finance

by Jun Wu, Liyuan Yue, Na Li and Qianqian Zhang

Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7268; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177268 - 23 Aug 2024

Viewed by 939

Abstract

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) frequently face challenges in obtaining financial assistance from traditional banks. Platform Supply Chain Finance (PSCF) has emerged as a promising solution for financing issues among SMEs, with an added focus on integrating sustainability aspects. This study focused on a two-tier supply chain as its primary research topic to find strategies to enhance supplier financial viability and improve the efficiency and profitability of the main manufacturing enterprise. In this study, we establish three distinct hypotheses corresponding to the three models involving supplier and manufacturer participation, encompassing parameters such as production batch size, pricing, and supply chain profit. First, it examined financing decisions through the lens of core enterprise-led platform finance. Second, it applied the Stackelberg game theory to investigate financing decisions in three distinct modes: traditional finance, platform internal finance, and external platform finance. Suppliers, manufacturers, and banks can be seen as participants in a Stackelberg game. In this game, suppliers act as leaders, making production and procurement decisions first, while manufacturers and banks act as followers, adjusting their behavior based on the suppliers’ decisions. Finally, it performed a comparative analysis of decisions and supply chain efficiency across these modes. When the risk regulation cost coefficient falls below a certain threshold, suppliers are willing to set up their own PSCF and there is an optimal level of risk regulation effort within the interval (0, 1). We compare platform finance with traditional finance and find that the traditional finance model maximizes profits for suppliers, while the external financing model maximizes profits for manufacturers and the overall supply chain profit. Findings provide insights for platforms, suppliers, manufacturers, and banks to implement optimal financing and channel structures to increase their profits and promote the sustainable development of the financial supply chain. In addition, future research on blockchain platform models would be highly meaningful. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition)

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16 pages, 308 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Consumer-Centric Approach for a Sustainable Honey Supply Chain: The Case of Strawberry Tree Honey

by Ioannis Papachristos, Foivos Anastasiadis, Maria Kontopanou and Giannis T. Tsoulfas

Sustainability 2024, 16(16), 6957; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16166957 - 14 Aug 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1589

Abstract

The consumption of honey has gained significant attention in recent years due to its numerous health benefits. It is important to understand the role of consumers in the honey supply chain, as their preferences have a substantial impact on industry practices. Consumer demand for high-quality, safe, and sustainable honey encourages producers to improve transparency and sustainability in their operations. This consumer-centric approach is essential for creating strong connections between supply chain stakeholders and end-users, promoting a more sustainable food system. This study centres on strawberry tree honey, which is rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and antimicrobial activities. It explores the key factors driving consumer choices in strawberry tree honey and evaluates their impact across the entire supply chain. A survey examined consumer preferences for conventional honey and organic strawberry tree honey, revealing a clear trend toward sustainable options. The findings highlighted the significant impact of consumer behaviour on driving sustainable practices within the honey supply chain. This study also shed light on consumers’ perceptions of organic strawberry tree honey and their connection to the entire supply chain. These findings support previous studies on organic products, demonstrating the crucial link between consumer choices for organic honey and the sustainability of the supply chain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition)

28 pages, 1205 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Improvement of Logistics Management in China: A Study of the Risk Perspective

by Qing Su, Yangyan Shi, Yangfei Gao, Tiru Arthanari and Mengmeng Wang

Sustainability 2024, 16(15), 6688; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156688 - 5 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1659

Abstract

This paper identifies and empirically validates the potential risks in overseas third-party logistics services that support sustainable cross-border e-commerce logistics in China. This research addresses a significant gap in the current literature by conducting a comprehensive literature review and case study, primarily focusing on third-party logistics services’ benefits without adequately discussing the associated risks. Our study highlights the medium and high risks in forwarding and contracting processes, such as cost uncertainty, quality issues, and cultural and language differences. The findings contribute to academic research and practical applications by providing a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for enhancing logistics management in China’s sustainable cross-border e-commerce. This research promotes the resilience and sustainability of cross-border e-commerce supply chains and offers valuable insights for overseas 3PL service providers looking to expand their operations in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition)

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27 pages, 6612 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Waste Cooking Oil Recycling and the Potential Use of Blockchain Technology in the UK

by Yu Gong, Hengyi Zhang, Tom Morris, Chen Zhang and Mohammed Alharithi

Sustainability 2024, 16(14), 6197; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16146197 - 19 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1069

Abstract

This study explores the recycling of Waste Cooking Oil (WCO) in the UK, analysing the recycling models and practices, and investigating the application of blockchain technology (BCT) from Z company’s Southern European project to UK’s WCO recycling. Employing a multi-method qualitative approach, including unstructured and semi-structured interviews, the research delves into the experiences of current WCO recycling methods in the UK and Z company’s project. Through thematic analysis of both primary data and archival data, the study identifies seven distinct recycling models in the UK and assesses the implementation of BCT using the Technology, Organization, and Environment (TOE) framework. The research underscores the current state of WCO recycling in the UK, highlighting the industry’s challenges and providing recommendations for future implementation. Its significance lies in addressing the academic gap in WCO recycling studies and offering insights into recycling models and BCT application, potentially guiding future commercial endeavours. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition)

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25 pages, 5399 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Tier Supply Chain Learning Networks: A Simulation Study Based on the Experience-Weighted Attraction (EWA) Model

by Yu Gong, Xiaojiang Xu, Changping Zhao and Tobias Schoenherr

Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4085; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104085 - 13 May 2024

Viewed by 1339

Abstract

Supply chain learning (SCL), which is reflected in organizational learning, referring to the learning between organizations in the supply chain, carries the promise to enable sustainable competitive advantages. Many large multinational companies, such as IKEA, Nestle, and Microsoft, have therefore integrated supply chain knowledge management and continuous learning into their corporate strategies. While there is evidence in extant research about a positive correlation between both the subjective attitude and learning ability of supply chain members and their performance improvement, areas where insight is still missing pertain to the relationship between supply chain members’ subjective psychological factors, and their relationship network structures. This is a serious omission, since these dimensions likely play a key role in the dynamics underlying SCL. In order to alleviate this void, we consider a multi-tier SCL network and develop a model in which a supply chain member’s attraction is weighted based on its previous learning experience. The game mechanism underlying SCL captured in this experience-weighted attraction (EWA) model is then tested using a simulation study of IKEA China’s multi-tier supply chain network for its sustainable cotton initiative. The results suggest that learning costs can be reduced and learning spillover befits can be increased by the provision of rewards to network member companies and better communication. In addition, the perception of and preference for SCL by suppliers can be influenced by initiating sustainable advocacy and providing knowledge and technology training, as well as fostering a range of subjective factors we investigate in our study, such as the strategic attractiveness the decline ratio due to forgetting, the attractiveness improvement ratio due to preferences, and the response sensitivity to strategies. The findings offer insight into the influence mechanisms of the supply chain network structure and subjective attitude about SCL, which are especially applicable to large, multinational enterprises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition)

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20 pages, 1750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Theoretical Framework for Virtual Logistics Centers Creation

by Vytautas Paulauskas, Ludmiła Filina-Dawidowicz, Viktoras Senčila, Donatas Paulauskas and Birutė Plačienė

Sustainability 2024, 16(9), 3680; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093680 - 28 Apr 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1125

Abstract

Intermodal terminals and warehouses operate in different countries and deliver specific services to their customers. For many clients, it is important to receive a full set of the logistics services delivered by a single operator. However, individual intermodal terminals and warehouses may face challenges with providing these services, e.g., just-in-time goods delivery, goods distribution, cargo handling in non-standard situations, and others. In such cases, the cooperation between logistics companies may be required to organize the comprehensive service of cargo within supply chains. One of the possible solutions is to integrate transport and logistics services providers, establishing their cooperation within one virtual logistics center. The aim of this article is to justify theoretically the possibility of creating such a center by combining services performed by the intermodal terminals and warehouses already in operation under a single entity, in order to minimize the cost of logistics services and the time of goods delivery, as well as to create a comprehensive range of logistics services needed by customers. The relevance of the article and the novelty of the idea are associated with justification of the possibility of combining the activities of intermodal terminals and warehouses located separately in the region in order to improve the logistical service of customers. The theoretical basis for creating a virtual logistics center is based on graph theory methods. The article presents a theoretical model, based on a system of edges and vertices of the graph tree, which corresponds to the activities performed by separately located intermodal terminals and individual warehouses. The discussion is focused on the current problems of creating virtual logistics centers. The research results may be interesting for the managers of intermodal terminals, warehouses, and logistics centers, as well as other decision-makers involved in supply chains implementation and development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition)

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31 pages, 2365 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Hybrid Approach for Sustainable and Resilient Farmer Selection in Food Industry: Tunisian Case Study

by Chaima Ben Abdallah, Adnen El-Amraoui, François Delmotte and Ahmed Frikha

Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 1889; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051889 - 25 Feb 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1257

Abstract

This paper presents an innovative approach for supplier selection (SS) within the Tunisian dairy industry, with a specific focus on sustainability and resilience. The proposed method is a hybrid model that integrates multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) with fuzzy logic. Initially, twelve distinct criteria are identified, categorized into social, environmental, economic, and resilience indexes through a combination of literature review and expert input. To establish the importance of these criteria, a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is employed to calculate their weights. These weights are then integrated into a new method called fuzzy multi-attribute border approximation area comparison (FMABAC) to rank the suppliers. The methodology aims to provide decision-makers with a more intuitive means of expressing their preferences and evaluating supplier criteria, ultimately identifying the most effective dairy farmers. The research concludes by evaluating the results through two sensitivity analyses: one involving varying criteria weights and the other involving a comparative assessment with alternative fuzzy MCDM techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition)

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15 pages, 977 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Human Behaviour Perspective on Horizontal Collaboration to Reduce the Climate Impact of Logistics

by Frans Cruijssen, Ilja van Beest and Goos Kant

Sustainability 2023, 15(23), 16221; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316221 - 22 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1319

Abstract

The transport sector needs to drastically reduce its carbon footprint to comply with the Paris Agreement. In today’s sharing economy, an emerging strategy to contribute to this goal is horizontal collaboration. However, most studies on horizontal collaboration or resource pooling are approached from a theoretical Operations Research perspective, and case studies are usually stylised. At the same time, the uptake of horizontal collaboration in practice is limited. An important explanation for this is that compared to traditional vertical collaboration, coalition formation is much more complex under horizontal collaboration, as some players will be included in the collaborative coalition, while others will be excluded. We conjecture that this renders human behaviour much more important than in more traditional vertical supply chain relations. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a research agenda for an interdisciplinary approach that integrates human behavioural aspects in studies on horizontal supply chain collaboration. We review some vital concepts from social psychology and discuss the importance to the success or failure of horizontal collaboration initiatives to reduce the environment footprint of the logistics sector. We conclude that social psychological insights on mixed-motive interactions are pivotal to understand wicked problems such as Sustainable Development Goal 13 on Climate Action, and that interdisciplinary approaches should therefore receive more attention in academic literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition)

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