From Global to Glocal: Digital Transformation for Reshoring More Agile, Resilient and Sustainable Supply Chains

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, the persistent uncertainty of the evolution of the health situation due to the pandemic and the increasing geopolitical tensions are causing new fragilities in global supply chains, which require the elaboration and implementation of unprecedented plans to control and mitigate the damages resulting from the ongoing disruptions. Never before have decision-makers had to change their strategies for managing global supply chains at risk so abruptly to consider the impacts of disruptions on international trade flows. It is therefore clear that the remoteness of supply markets represents a factor of weakness in production systems. The need for reshoring/nearshoring of some subcontracting chains, reducing dependence and interconnections from distant, or unstable, countries where large shares of production had been delocalized, has become the new priority. Moreover, scenarios of geopolitical uncertainty then act as a sounding board to an already very vulnerable and complex context created by the pandemic, causing effects and impacts that extend to and involve a large number of production sectors, requiring the re-engineering of the supply chain strategies, organizational systems and business models. This re-engineering may inspire new supply chain configurations driven by more agile coordination mechanisms. In this complex context, in which the elements of fragility are so closely linked to each other as to create the risk of a "domino effect", it is increasingly urgent for decision-makers to understand in advance the risks and the impact that these dynamics may have on each production sector. In this context, it becomes necessary to identify alternative sources of supply to enhance regional natural, circular and bio-based resource production, thus reorganizing the boundaries of global chains and making them more agile and resilient. The reshoring of productions and the shortening of logistic chains are pushing towards a paradigm shift that, thanks to the impetus given by the digitalization of processes and the use of data as a source of new strategic knowledge, also meets the need for sustainability that appears increasingly at the center of the global political agenda.

This Special Issue aims to fill a gap in the literature that calls for further study and analysis on the reconfiguration strategies that companies can, and should, adopt to re-engineer their supply chains to ensure stability and continuity of operations. To this end, both theoretical contributions and empirical studies that explore how digital technologies can enable the agility, resilience, and sustainability of not only factories but entire supply chains are welcome. In addition, this Special Issue aims to demonstrate how the use of data and knowledge can help companies to rediscover and employ alternative sources of natural and energy resources, as well as bio-based material, in order to respond to the criticalities of sourcing. Finally, we welcome studies that investigate how such paradigm shifts can boost process, product and business model innovation, always from a sustainability (environmental, economic, social and technological) perspective.

References:

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2. Miceli, A., Hagen, B., Riccardi, M. P., Sotti, F., & Settembre-Blundo, D. (2021). Thriving, not just surviving in changing times: How sustainability, agility and digitalization intertwine with organizational resilience. Sustainability, 13(4), 2052.
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Dr. Andrés Fernández Miguel
Prof. Dr. Maria Pia Riccardi
Prof. Dr. Fernando Enrique García-Muiña
Dr. Davide Settembre Blundo
Prof. Dr. Alfonso Pedro Fernández del Hoyo
Dr. Valerio Veglio
Guest Editors

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• global supply chains
• supply chain disruption
• supply chain resilience
• sustainable supply chain
• reshoring and nearshoring
• digital transformations
• sustainable supply chain
• industry 4.0 technologies
• data driven strategies
• circular bioeconomy
• business model innovation
• industry 4.0 technologies