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Sustainability
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Advancing Towards Smart and Sustainable Supply Chain Management
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Advancing Towards Smart and Sustainable Supply Chain Management

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 June 2026 | Viewed by 1820

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mingu Kang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Graduate School of Technology & Innovation Management, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
Interests: sustainable supply chain management; technological innovation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Taewon Kang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Supply Chain and Logistics, Kunsan National University, Gunsan 54150, Republic of Korea
Interests: cold chain management; E-retail
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Operations and supply chains are undergoing profound shifts driven by the dual imperatives of digital transformation and sustainability. The integration of smart technologies—such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and big data analytics—has emerged as a critical enabler in reimagining supply chain design and management. These technologies facilitate real-time connectivity, enhance visibility, and enable more accurate and timely decision-making across global supply networks.

Smart systems can support carbon footprint tracking, waste reduction, ethical sourcing, and circular economy practices—transforming the way sustainability is operationalized across the supply chain. However, despite these transformative potentials, significant challenges remain in aligning smart innovations with sustainability objectives across complex, multi-tier supply chains. Achieving this integration demands not only technological capabilities, but also organizational readiness, governance mechanisms, and stakeholder collaboration.

This Special Issue aims to foster scholarly and practical discourse on the integration of smart technologies and sustainability in supply chains, and invites submissions of original research articles and comprehensive review papers. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • The strategic roles of smart technologies in operations and sustainable supply chain management;
  • The challenges and opportunities in smart and sustainable supply chains;
  • AI-powered demand forecasting and its impact on inventory waste reduction;
  • Blockchain-based sustainable and ethical sourcing;
  • Smart and sustainable strategies for managing global disruptions;
  • Regulatory frameworks and incentives for smart sustainability innovations;
  • SG reporting and digital traceability: challenges and best practices;
  • Case studies of smart sustainable supply chain practices.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Mingu Kang
Dr. Taewon Kang
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

  • smart technologies
  • digitalization
  • supply chain ESG
  • sustainable supply chain management
  • sustainable performance

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 729 KB  
Article
Towards Credible and Comparable Accounting of Environmental Attributes: Applicability and Limitation on Non-Proportional Allocation as Mass Balance Model
by Taichi Suzuki, Jun Nakatani and Ichiro Daigo
Sustainability 2025, 17(21), 9446; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219446 - 24 Oct 2025
Abstract
There is a growing demand for industrial materials that claim environmental attributes based on life cycle thinking. To track and manage such environmental attributes, Chain of custody (CoC) models are growingly applied. Among CoC models, the mass balance model–credit method (MB-CR) and book [...] Read more.
There is a growing demand for industrial materials that claim environmental attributes based on life cycle thinking. To track and manage such environmental attributes, Chain of custody (CoC) models are growingly applied. Among CoC models, the mass balance model–credit method (MB-CR) and book and claim (B&C) model implement non-proportional allocation of environmental attributes. Though there is a case that applying these models could avoid additional environmental burdens that would otherwise occur, the eligibility of applying non-proportional allocation requires careful consideration. This study aims to clarify the requirement and limitation for applying MB-CR and B&C models and to justify the cases of applying those models. A key requirement is environmental rationality, defined as the ability to contribute to avoiding additional environmental burdens, particularly during transition phases where the target environmental attribute is not abundant. A key limitation is technical feasibility, which constrains allocation within what is physically achievable for industrial materials. This study contributes to establishing a scientifically grounded and systematically structured methodology for non-proportional allocation of environmental attributes. Applying MB-CR and B&C models under the requirement and limitation ensures that the non-proportional allocation aligns with the avoidance of environmental burden while maintaining credibility, transparency, and feasibility in environmental claims of industrial materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Towards Smart and Sustainable Supply Chain Management)
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17 pages, 877 KB  
Article
Assessing the Sustainable Circular Fashion Supply Chain as a Model for Achieving Economic Growth in the Global Market
by Andrew P. Burnstine and Raouf Ghattas
Sustainability 2025, 17(19), 8558; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17198558 - 24 Sep 2025
Viewed by 934
Abstract
The fashion industry faces a critical sustainability crisis, contributing up to 10% of global carbon emissions and generating 92 million tons of textile waste annually. The study highlights the complex interplay of material flows, business models, power structures, and cultural mindsets, presenting a [...] Read more.
The fashion industry faces a critical sustainability crisis, contributing up to 10% of global carbon emissions and generating 92 million tons of textile waste annually. The study highlights the complex interplay of material flows, business models, power structures, and cultural mindsets, presenting a multi-scaled framework for advancing cleaner production and circularity in one of the world’s most resource-intensive sectors. This study proposes a transformative model for circular bioeconomy in fashion, integrating systems-change theory, degrowth economics, and emotional durability. Through case studies, including Patagonia, Eileen Fisher, and EU policy frameworks, the paper demonstrates how circular strategies can reduce waste, extend product lifecycles, and promote ethical labor practices. Notably, brands implementing take-back programs and recycled materials have diverted over 1.5 million garments from landfills and achieved up to 70% recycled content. The study critically addresses challenges such as technological solutionism, systemic greenwashing, and waste colonialism, concluding that incremental changes are insufficient. A paradigm shift in business models, consumer culture, and policy is essential for a regenerative and just fashion future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Towards Smart and Sustainable Supply Chain Management)
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26 pages, 455 KB  
Article
The Impact of Digital Technology Characteristics on Operational Decision Optimization: The Mediating Role of Information System Agility in Healthcare Supply Chains
by Jing-Yan Ma and Tae-Won Kang
Sustainability 2025, 17(18), 8471; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188471 - 21 Sep 2025
Viewed by 570
Abstract
Healthcare supply chains operate in highly dynamic environments characterized by fluctuating demand. Digitalization, by enhancing the agility of information systems, can shorten information processing cycles, strengthen environmental sensing, and improve rapid response capabilities, thereby becoming a critical pathway and urgent requirement for achieving [...] Read more.
Healthcare supply chains operate in highly dynamic environments characterized by fluctuating demand. Digitalization, by enhancing the agility of information systems, can shorten information processing cycles, strengthen environmental sensing, and improve rapid response capabilities, thereby becoming a critical pathway and urgent requirement for achieving decision optimization in supply chains. The objective of this study is to analyze the mediating role of information system agility between digital technology characteristics and the optimization of operational decisions in healthcare supply chains in China. A questionnaire survey was conducted, yielding 360 valid responses from managers in Chinese healthcare supply chain enterprises, representing a response rate of 94.48%. The hypothesized paths were analyzed through the application of structural equation modeling. The results reveal that compatibility and visibility significantly promote operational decision optimization both directly and indirectly through improved information system agility, whereas reliability influences decision optimization only indirectly through the full mediating role of agility. This study provides a robust theoretical model that extends organizational information processing theory to the healthcare supply chain while offering practical insights into digital transformation and decision optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Towards Smart and Sustainable Supply Chain Management)
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