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Sustainable Production and Supply Chain Management

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 December 2025 | Viewed by 6245

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, International Hellenic University (IHU), 57400 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: sustainable supply chains; production and operations management; industrial engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Supply Chain Management, International Hellenic University (IHU), 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: digital supply chains; production and operations management; system dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Continuous climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and war conflicts have been constituting major environmental and socio-economic challenges that pose significant stress in the worldwide economy. From a business perspective, these events have created unprecedented negative implications across global production and supply networks. Hence, it is crucial that forthcoming research investigates how novel business models, indicatively employing circular, human-centric, and/or digital interventions, could transform existing supply chains into more sustainable and resilient ones.

This Special Issue aims to shed light on sustainable production, operations, and supply chains for providing meaningful managerial implications and research recommendations. The submitted articles are anticipated to act as a ‘guide map’ for both academics and practitioners in designing and (re)configuring efficient supply networks, building upon the SDGs in the era of digital transformation.

In this Special Issue, original research articles (e.g., methodological approaches, case studies, analytical/computational models) and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Sustainable production and consumption;
  • Sustainable supply chains;
  • Sustainable operations management.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Eirini Aivazidou
Dr. Naoum Tsolakis
Guest Editors

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

  • sustainable production
  • sustainable consumption
  • sustainable supply chains
  • sustainable operations management
  • sustainable business models
  • circular economy
  • circular supply chains
  • social sustainability
  • digital sustainability
  • digital supply chains

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 854 KiB  
Article
An Integrated Symbiotic Production System Design of Agro-Based Industries with Profit and Environmental Objectives
by Melike Kaya Akça, Mete Gündoğan and Gerçek Budak
Sustainability 2025, 17(14), 6396; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146396 - 12 Jul 2025
Viewed by 252
Abstract
Establishing a sustainable production system requires a more efficient utilization of resources and the adoption of cleaner production methodologies. Specifically, industrial symbiosis promotes collaboration among interconnected industries by exchanging waste, byproducts, and utilities, thereby providing innovative ways to enhance the efficiency of production [...] Read more.
Establishing a sustainable production system requires a more efficient utilization of resources and the adoption of cleaner production methodologies. Specifically, industrial symbiosis promotes collaboration among interconnected industries by exchanging waste, byproducts, and utilities, thereby providing innovative ways to enhance the efficiency of production processes. However, the sustainability of agricultural products and agro-based industries is essential for human survival. This study proposed an integrated symbiotic production system that targets agro-based industries. The system includes seven plants: a sugar production plant, a corn-integrated industrial plant, an alcohol production plant, a feed production plant, a fertilizer plant, a bioethanol production plant, and a wastewater treatment plant. The study aimed to design a sustainable industrial system that shares byproducts, waste, and water reuse. Symbiotic relations between production plants are designed in a provided multi-objective optimization model that considers both the mitigation of CO2 emissions and the maximization of system profit. The multi-objective model with the epsilon-constraint method results in Pareto-efficient solutions that address the tradeoff between the objectives. This allows decision makers to select a suitable one among the solution set that prioritizes conflicting objectives. We developed ten scenarios to assess costs, revenue, profit, and CO2 emissions, offering significant insights into how model parameters affect managerial knowledge. This study also addresses environmental and economic concerns, thereby making the development of agro-based industries more sustainable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Production and Supply Chain Management)
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30 pages, 4728 KiB  
Article
An Econometric Analysis of CO2 Emission Intensity in Poland’s Blast Furnace–Basic Oxygen Furnace Steelmaking Process
by Bożena Gajdzik, Radosław Wolniak and Wiesław Grebski
Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 4045; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094045 - 30 Apr 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 834
Abstract
This study examines the carbon and energy intensity of steel production in Poland, with a particular focus on the Blast Furnace–Basic Oxygen Furnace (BF-BOF) process. Given its dominant role in the industry, decarbonizing this process is crucial for achieving the “Net Zero” targets [...] Read more.
This study examines the carbon and energy intensity of steel production in Poland, with a particular focus on the Blast Furnace–Basic Oxygen Furnace (BF-BOF) process. Given its dominant role in the industry, decarbonizing this process is crucial for achieving the “Net Zero” targets outlined in the Strategy 2050 climate policy. The transition toward deep decarbonization presents significant technological challenges, primarily the shift from high-carbon BF-BOF technology to low-carbon alternatives, such as hydrogen-based direct reduction iron in Electric Arc Furnaces (H2-DRI-EAF—Hydrogen-Based Direct Reduction Iron in Electric Arc Furnaces). Using time series analysis and econometric modeling, we assess the impact of technological innovation and investment on the emission intensity of BF-BOF technology. The findings highlight the necessity of radical technological transformation for deep decarbonization in the steel industry, reinforcing the urgency of adopting low-carbon solutions. A successful sustainable transition in the steel industry requires a holistic approach, integrating economic incentives, regulatory frameworks, and innovation-driven strategies to foster a competitive, resource-efficient, and environmentally responsible steel sector in the era of deep decarbonization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Production and Supply Chain Management)
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29 pages, 2408 KiB  
Article
Pricing Strategies for O2O Catering Merchants Considering Reference Price Effects and Unconditional Coupons
by Huixian Ma, Jiqing Xie, Debao Dai and Jiaping Xie
Sustainability 2024, 16(20), 8765; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208765 - 10 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1767
Abstract
Coupon marketing is an important promotion model for the O2O catering supply chain. As a well-known catering O2O platform in China, Meituan provides its members with the opportunity to buy unconditional coupons at low prices, and it is very popular with consumers. It [...] Read more.
Coupon marketing is an important promotion model for the O2O catering supply chain. As a well-known catering O2O platform in China, Meituan provides its members with the opportunity to buy unconditional coupons at low prices, and it is very popular with consumers. It is worth studying how catering merchants develop pricing and promotion strategies considering consumers’ reference price effects in two scenarios: participating and not participating in coupon stacking (S-PICS/S-NPICS). In order to explore the pricing mechanism of meals, two models using Stackelberg games are established considering some exogenous variables, such as commission rate, reference price, and sensitivity of consumers to coupon prices. The results show that (1) the reference price has a great influence on the maximum profits of catering merchants, varying in different scenarios; (2) in S-NPICS, the merchants’ maximum profit increases with an increase in the reference price, while, in S-PICS, an increase in the reference price leads to a decrease in merchants’ maximum profit; (3) the profit of merchants in S-PICS is higher than that in S-NPICS, indicating that merchants can benefit from coupon stacking; (4) when the commission rate of the coupons increases, the merchants in both S-PICS and S-NPICS should raise their online meal prices to obtain higher profits. This study provides a balanced reference for pricing strategies and coupon promotion strategies in different scenarios through the use of deduction and simulation methods, which is conducive to the sustainable development of the O2O catering supply chain. As consumers enjoy using these coupons, including unconditional ones, it is suggested that merchants and Meituan should focus on coupon promotion and develop better dining pricing strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Production and Supply Chain Management)
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28 pages, 779 KiB  
Article
Hybrid Assessment for Strengthening Supply Chain Resilience and Sustainability: A Comprehensive Analysis
by El-Awady Attia and Md Sharif Uddin
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4010; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104010 - 10 May 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2707
Abstract
Organisations encounter a significant challenge in the globalised business landscape, and thus mitigate risk by establishing robust supply chains (SCs) networks is required. In a rapidly changing environment, gaining a competitive edge is imperative. However, the exploration of the essential factors enabling resilient [...] Read more.
Organisations encounter a significant challenge in the globalised business landscape, and thus mitigate risk by establishing robust supply chains (SCs) networks is required. In a rapidly changing environment, gaining a competitive edge is imperative. However, the exploration of the essential factors enabling resilient and sustainable supply chain management (RSSCM) in construction projects has been lacking. This study aims to bridge this gap by identifying the enabling factors for resilient and sustainable supply chain management (SSCM). To achieve this, a survey was conducted among Egyptian engineers, involving 32 factors derived from an extensive literature review on RSSCM. The data collected were categorised into four groups, namely Organisational Knowledge and Competence, Risk Management and Security, Collaboration and Communication, and Planning Efficiency and Timing, using brainstorming techniques. Subsequently, the data were analysed utilising a novel hybrid assessment approach that combines evaluation of alternatives and ranking, employing the compromise solution-fuzzy synthetic evaluation methodology, for the first time, offering a unique approach to assessing and prioritising these categories. The findings reveal that ‘Planning Efficiency and Timing’ emerged as the highest-performing category, whereas ‘Collaboration and Communication’ performed the worth. Furthermore, our results indicate that brainstorming enabled the grouping of the enablers into four distinct categories, providing a structured framework for understanding and organising them. The integration of MARCOS and FSE offered a robust decision-making approach, proposing a resilient and comprehensive decision-support system capable of tackling intricate real-world issues. This research outcome offers building administrators valuable insights for comparing different supply chains, considering how supply chain characteristics influence resilience and risk exposure in building SCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Production and Supply Chain Management)
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