Emerging Technologies That Facilitate the Sustainable Management of Digital Supply Chains and the Circular Economy
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 3 April 2026 | Viewed by 2220
Special Issue Editor
Interests: supply chain management; logistics; digital business
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The technological revolution has long defined the dynamics of the global supply chain. Recently, however, emerging technologies and the reshaping of the global supply chain with sustainability as a critical priority have become a central concern for businesses and policymakers. Today, advanced technological solutions are playing a key role in creating resilient, sustainable supply chains as industries aim to balance economic growth with environmental and social responsibilities.
Sustainability in supply chains has evolved from a strategic choice to an imperative in recent years. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate change, resource depletion, and strict international and national regulations are forcing organizations to reassess their supply chain operations. In addition, innovations like predictive analytics, real-time monitoring, and data-driven decision-making enabled by new technologies empower businesses to increase transparency, reduce carbon footprints, and optimize resource efficiency. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered algorithms improve demand forecasting and waste minimization, while blockchain strengthens traceability and trust in supply chain transactions. Similarly, Internet of Things (IoT) systems integrated with big data analysis provide deeper insights into energy consumption and emissions, leading to the development of more sustainable logistics and procurement practices.
We invite you to join us in adopting and implementing advanced information technologies in supply chain operations to promote green and sustainable supply chains and the circular economy. With the advent of transformative tools like AI, blockchain, and IoT, which collectively are proving to be a game-changer in present supply chain practices, this Special Issue seeks to explore the impact of these emerging and disruptive technologies in delivering sustainability in supply chain practices and the circular economy. By uniting academics, industry experts, and policymakers, we aim to highlight the potential digital strategies that address current challenges and shape the future of sustainable supply chains in the digital era.
For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Muhammad Noman Shafique
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
- sustainable supply chain
- emerging technologies
- artificial intelligence (AI)
- blockchain
- internet of things (IoT)
- supply chain transparency
- carbon footprint reduction
- predictive analytics
- green logistics
- circular economy
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