Emerging Technologies and Sustainable Innovation in Supply Chain Management: Towards Supply Chain X.0
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: Artificial Intelligence; data science; decision support systems; digital supply chains; sustainability in logistics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: sustainability reporting; ESG; financial reporting; Artificial Intelligence; auditing; emerging technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: ESG; corporate governance; AI in reporting; digital transformation; sustainability accounting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: sustainability; SDGs; ESG; marketing; consumer behaviour; digital marketing; corporate governance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In a global context marked by environmental degradation, climate volatility, and social inequality, supply chains are under mounting pressure to transition from efficiency-driven models to paradigms rooted in sustainability, resilience, and ethical responsibility. The advent of Supply Chain 4.0—evolving into SC 5.0, 6.0, and the envisioned SC X.0—heralds not merely a technological leap, but a profound opportunity to reconfigure supply chain systems in alignment with the imperatives of sustainable development. The convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, big data analytics, and cloud computing offers the potential to reduce carbon footprints, enable circular economy practices, enhance transparency, and foster adaptive capacities to environmental and geopolitical disruptions.
This Special Issue, in partnership with the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Technologies in Supply Chain Management (ATSCM 2025), invites original research and critical reviews that interrogate the interplay between advanced digital technologies and sustainability-oriented transformation. We seek to advance theoretical and empirical understanding of how digital innovation can be harnessed to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), decarbonise logistics, operationalise ESG metrics, and support inclusive and regenerative value chains.
Contributions addressing ethical AI, climate risk analytics, reverse logistics, biodiversity-sensitive design, and sustainability reporting are particularly encouraged. Interdisciplinary and practice-informed perspectives are welcome.
Suggested Themes:
· Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Decision-Making Across the Supply Chain
· Blockchain for Traceability, Transparency, and ESG Assurance in Global Value Networks
· IoT-Enabled Environmental Monitoring and Resource Optimization in Logistics Systems
· Digital Technologies Driving Circular Economy Models and Reverse Logistics Innovation
· Big Data and Predictive Analytics for Carbon Footprint Reduction and Climate Risk Management
· Cloud-Based Collaboration for Green Procurement and Decentralised Sustainable Operations
· Human-Centric Automation and Ethical AI in Supply Chain 5.0 and Beyond
· Cybersecurity, Digital Governance, and Sustainability Compliance in Complex Supply Chains
· Digital Twins and Scenario Modelling for Resilient and Low-Carbon Supply Chain Design
· Integrating Sustainability Metrics into Real-Time Supply Chain Performance Dashboards
We welcome both theoretical and empirical contributions, as well as case studies and interdisciplinary approaches. Submissions from conference participants and beyond are encouraged.We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Imane Satauri
Dr. Issam Benhayoun
Dr. Mahmoud Elmarzouky
Dr. Doaa Shohaieb
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 Supply Chains
- Digital Sustainability
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Circular Economy
- ESG Integration
- Green Logistics
- Technology-Driven Sustainability
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