Search Results (2,116)

To address the increasing volume of end-of-life power batteries, governments leverage Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations to encourage battery suppliers to increase recycling. We develop a Stackelberg game model for a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) that includes a government, a battery supplier, an NEV manufacturer, and a third-party recycler. The model endogenizes tax–subsidy decisions while incorporating cascade utilization, competitive intensity, and environmental damage from informal channels. We compare three recycling modes: manufacturer–supplier competition (MSC), manufacturer–third-party competition (MTC), and manufacturer–third-party alliance (MTA). Our analysis addresses three main issues. First, the structure of recycling modes affects the equilibrium decisions of CLSC members: pricing under MSC is governed by a threshold effect of cascade utilization, whereas pricing under MTC depends on relative cost differences. Second, higher cascade utilization strengthens the supplier’s pricing power under MSC, whereas intensified competition reduces the profits of the supplier and government under MSC and MTC; by contrast, the profits of the supplier and government under MTA remain stable. Third, environmental damage encourages the government to raise the subsidy level provided to suppliers for battery recycling. These findings offer practical guidance for designing adaptive EPR policies that balance economic and environmental objectives. Full article

Carbon pricing can change manufacturers’ material choices, while the costs of managing the residual waste remain geographically uneven. We formulate a manufacturer–regulator bilevel model for a household plastic-waste closed-loop supply chain with quantity-dependent recycled-bale prices, activity-specific carbon accounts, physical interregional waste routing, and a proportional regional cost-burden standard. The lower level is explicitly a single coordinating-regulator linear program rather than a game among independent regions. Its primal constraints, dual constraints, and strong-duality equality are embedded in the manufacturer problem; binary-continuous products are exactly linearized using the manufacturer’s SOS1 price-grid variables. Thus, every reported policy point is obtained from the same 12-region mixed-integer equilibrium formulation. Across 36 central policy combinations, HiGHS reports a zero mixed-integer programming gap, and the largest feasibility and optimality residual is 5.24 × 10⁻⁸. Raising the carbon tax from 0 to 10 USD/tCO₂ increases the real recycling rate (RRR) from 15.33% to the bale-capacity limit of 29.85% and reduces physical emissions by 11.64%. Tightening the allowed regional burden deviation from 25% to 5% reduces the standard deviation of normalized residual-waste cost burden by 77.89% and interregional residual-waste transfers by 77.05%, but does not change the RRR. This zero-recycling effect overturns the earlier assumption-driven result: a pure routing-based cost-balancing rule cannot mechanically stimulate the manufacturer’s recycled-input demand. A global analysis of 300 parameter sets and five independent regional samples re-solves 1800 equilibrium models; all have a zero solver gap and pass the residual audit. Carbon-induced RRR increases have a median of 17.03 percentage points, while strict-versus-loose burden-threshold changes in RRR are zero in every set. The results distinguish carbon efficiency, regional cost incidence, and fiscal incidence and show that policy complementarity must be demonstrated through endogenous decision links rather than imposed response functions. Full article

To address the issue where information asymmetry in third-party logistics (3PL)-led low-carbon supply chain coordination undermines coordination efficiency, thereby threatening the sustainability and resilience of supply chain cooperation, this paper develops a Stackelberg dynamic game model with the 3PL as the leader. This model is constructed within the context where consumers’ low-carbon preferences influence product demand, and a government carbon cap policy is implemented. By comparing decentralized and centralized equilibria, we verify that centralized collaboration achieves dual gains: higher carbon reduction levels and greater overall supply chain profits, which strengthens sustainability and resilience. To address efficiency losses from three types of information asymmetry, we propose a two-stage dynamic coordination mechanism adapted to evolving cooperation transparency. At the initial stage with opaque information, a bargaining-power-weighted profit-sharing contract is adopted, where negotiation weights are quantified by enterprise scale, resource control and industry influence. After data transparency improves, the system switches to a Nash bargaining framework supported by blockchain carbon data sharing to realize stable long-term collaboration. Numerical cases and sensitivity analysis demonstrate that manufacturer cost information asymmetry is the primary constraint on coordination efficiency. The proposed dynamic coordination scheme effectively mitigates systemic complexity, balancing economic benefits and carbon reduction targets. This study provides practical pathways for supply chain participants to navigate complex low-carbon environments and advance sustainable, resilient supply chain operation. Full article

The rapid transition toward electrified mobility and climate neutrality has prioritized the structural and environmental optimization of battery electric vehicle (BEV) subsystems. While vehicle lightweighting enhances operational efficiency, the production phase of structural enclosures and battery cells frequently introduces severe environmental and economic impacts and supply chain vulnerabilities. This study presents a comprehensive cradle-to-gate environmental life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), and semi-quantitative social assessment of alternative battery housing materials and battery cell architectures. To achieve a functionally accurate comparison, alternative materials, including a novel recyclable thermoplastic acrylic sheet molding compound (SMC), commercial thermoset SMCs, aluminum (AlMg₃), and stainless steel, are evaluated using an analytical stiffness- and strength-equivalent methodology across three real-world geometric demonstrators. Simultaneously, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) liquid electrolyte prismatic cells and solid-state polymer pouch cells are assessed. Material-level results indicate that, while aluminum minimizes the structural mass, primary aluminum manufacturing exhibits the highest global warming potential and processing costs. Conversely, Polytec SMC and Elium SMC achieve the lowest environmental impacts alongside competitive total production costs. At the cell level, prismatic LFP architectures display superior environmental performance compared to solid-state pouch cells, which suffer from energy-intensive processing and lower volumetric capacity normalization. Demonstrator-level aggregation reveals that the electrochemical cells heavily dominate the environmental and economic footprint of the complete assembly, with the housing accounting for less than 5% of the total global warming potential (GWP) and 1% of the total costs. The social assessment reveals moderate and comparable performance across all systems, with slight advantages for thermoplastic composite-based configurations in terms of circularity potential and innovation perception. Overall, the study highlights the critical importance of the cell architecture and manufacturing processes in determining battery system sustainability, while demonstrating the relevance of lightweight composite housings in reducing the structural mass with a minimal environmental penalty. Full article

The study addresses the design and development of a unified corporate information system for multimodal transport and logistics companies engaged in maritime and railway transportation. Analysis of the existing literature revealed the absence of a coherent methodological framework for the design of corporate information systems tailored to the specific operational characteristics of multimodal transport and logistics enterprises. To bridge this gap, a design methodology for corporate information system databases is proposed, intended for subsequent deployment in companies operating multimodal supply chains. The development of the unified corporate information system was guided by the principle of “total costs,” which requires that the decision-maker—when selecting transport modes, methods of transportation, carriers, routing, and auxiliary intermediaries (insurer, stevedore, bank, and customs broker)—address the problem as an integrated whole rather than optimizing individual components in isolation. The study encompasses information modeling of the business processes of multimodal transport and logistics companies, construction of an optimal model of the transport process for maritime and railway transportation using integrated computer automated manufacturing definition (IDEF) and structured analysis and design technique (SADT) modeling, and the design of a multilevel unified database structure for the coordination of different transport modes. A decision-making and support system has been developed for managing the operational activities of a multimodal transport and logistics company engaged in maritime and railway transportation. The proposed unified corporate information system enables the replacement of task resolution by local optimization criteria applied separately to each transport mode—such as freight cost and delivery time—with a single global optimization criterion for the multimodal supply chain. Full article

Amid increasing upstream raw-material disruptions and battery supply uncertainty, NEV manufacturers may obtain emergency supply from vertically integrated competitors after a disruption, but must incur technology conversion costs. We develop a differentiated Cournot duopoly model with an outsourcing manufacturer and an integrated manufacturer to compare equilibrium, profit, and welfare outcomes with and without emergency procurement cooperation. The results show that cooperation has a clear feasibility boundary jointly determined by market potential, relative costs, and conversion costs, giving rise to competition-only, cooperation-only, and coopetition regimes. The cooperation option reshapes pre-disruption quantity decisions: the outsourcing manufacturer increases regular procurement, while the integrated manufacturer reduces its own-brand output by a larger amount. Within the cooperation region, higher conversion costs continuously reduce the outsourcing manufacturer’s profit, whereas the integrated manufacturer’s profit can be U-shaped. Greater product substitutability makes cooperation more fragile and widens the divergence between private profit incentives and supply-chain resilience. Consumer surplus and social welfare may also move in different directions, depending on the outsourcing manufacturer’s benchmark market share and conversion cost. A Nash-bargaining extension confirms the robustness of the activation condition and pre-disruption quantity-adjustment mechanism, while reducing emergency markups and improving consumer surplus. Full article

With the rapid development of E-commerce platforms (EPs) and the accumulation of consumer data, demand information sharing has become increasingly important in green supply chains. However, the interaction between selling mode selection and information-sharing strategies remains insufficiently explored. This study develops a game-theoretic model for a green supply chain consisting of a manufacturer and an EP to examine selling modes and information-sharing decisions under reselling and agency modes. The results indicate that information sharing is highly dependent on information accuracy. Specifically, when information accuracy exceeds a threshold, the manufacturer no longer purchases demand information because the marginal benefit cannot compensate for the acquisition cost. Under the reselling mode, the EP shares information only when information accuracy falls within an intermediate range, whereas under the agency mode, it always chooses to share information due to additional information-sharing revenue. Moreover, the manufacturer prefers the agency mode when the service cost performance factor is below the critical threshold and switches to the reselling mode otherwise. Information sharing consistently improves environmental performance, while the preferred selling mode depends on the service cost performance factor. The extension further shows that introducing an information collection cost narrows the information-sharing region and weakens the EP’s incentive to share information. Full article

This study develops a game-theoretic model of a platform-led supply chain in which a manufacturer invests in green innovation under a cap-and-trade regulation. We examine how three information-sharing strategies—no sharing (NI), free sharing (FI), and paid sharing (TI)—affect the manufacturer’s green innovation level, both firms’ profits, and total supply chain carbon emissions. Our analysis reveals that the effect of information sharing is state-dependent: when the realized market potential exceeds its prior expectation, sharing stimulates green innovation, raises platform profit, and reduces emissions; when demand falls below expectations, the opposite holds. For the platform, paid sharing delivers the highest expected profit by extracting the full value of demand information. Furthermore, the emission-reducing effect of information sharing outweighs the demand expansion effect under favorable demand conditions, leading to a net decrease in total carbon emissions. These results underscore the governance role of demand information in aligning economic and environmental goals in platform supply chains, and they offer actionable guidance for managers and policymakers. Full article

Background: Australia has experienced high rates of antibiotic shortages, yet little is known about how Australian pharmacists experience and manage them. This study aimed to explore Australian community and hospital pharmacists’ experiences of antibiotic shortages, including their perceived clinical impact and approaches to managing shortages. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with Australian community and hospital pharmacists between May and August 2024. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling through professional networks and social media. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically using an inductive–deductive approach, with coding performed independently by two researchers. Results: Fifteen interviews were conducted before data saturation was reached. Sixty percent of participants were female, 67% worked in hospital settings, and pharmacists were located across five Australian states. Four overarching themes were identified: factors driving shortages, communication and collaboration, impact of shortages, and mitigation and prevention. Pharmacists described antibiotic shortages as frequent and unpredictable, attributing them to supply-chain vulnerabilities, limited manufacturing, and market competition. Shortages were reported to affect treatment choice, contribute to antimicrobial resistance concerns, increase pharmacist workload and stress, and negatively affect patients. Pharmacists used strategies such as stock management, collaboration, and importing alternatives, but felt that lasting solutions required coordinated national action. Conclusions: Australian pharmacists perceive antibiotic shortages as a complex challenge affecting patient care, antimicrobial stewardship, workload, and healthcare efficiency. While pharmacists have developed reactive strategies to manage shortages, stronger communication, collaboration, and national policy coordination, alongside improved supply-chain resilience, are needed to reduce the impact of future shortages. Full article

Ti-6Al-4V has seen widespread adoption in the aerospace industry due to its advantageous material properties, but the alloy is costly to produce with vulnerable supply chains. Repair and remanufacture offer economic and environmental benefits over scrapping components. Powder-based additive-manufacturing processes have been investigated; however, coaxial wire laser metal deposition (LMD) remains understudied in repair scenarios, and the transfer of planar process parameters to inclined geometries for complex repairs has not been established. This paper identifies a process window for 1.2 mm Ti-6Al-4V wire and applies the parameters to repair a trapezoidal groove. Tensile and fatigue properties are evaluated, and fractography is conducted using optical and scanning electron microscopy. Findings show the transfer from planar to inclined geometry induces evolving geometric and thermal boundary conditions, including underbuilding and thermal accumulation. Nonetheless, the repair exhibited a yield strength of 868.2 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of 920.5 MPa, and an elongation of 8.9%. Moreover, UFT revealed a fatigue performance of the repairs that was consistent with heat-treated SLM materials. Fractographic analysis revealed triangular defects and feedstock contamination that contribute to reduced repair properties. As such, this paper demonstrated that coaxial wire-LMD can be used to deposit material into complex geometries, but a complete, defect free repair was not achieved. Full article

Background: Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has attracted significant attention in supply chain management (SCM) due to its potential to improve data-driven decision-making and operational performance. However, existing studies mainly focus on individual GenAI models or specific supply chain applications, lacking a comprehensive understanding of how different GenAI architectures support decision-making across the supply chain. Methods: This study conducts a systematic literature review using the PRISMA framework to examine the applications of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Transformers, Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), and flow-based models within a six-level supply chain decision-making framework. A total of 692 peer-reviewed publications were analyzed using bibliometric methods, including keyword co-occurrence, temporal and density analyses, and Supervised Embedding Visualization. Results: Current research is concentrated on Transformer and GAN applications, particularly in data analytics, optimization, forecasting, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, and quality management. The analyses also reveal major research themes, the evolution of GenAI in SCM, and limited attention to sustainability, cybersecurity, resilience, and reverse logistics. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive overview of GenAI applications in SCM, identifies key research gaps, and offers a foundation for future research while helping practitioners evaluate opportunities and limitations of GenAI for supply chain decision-making. Full article

The Artificial Intelligence Pilot Zone Policy is an important strategic initiative for building artificial intelligence (AI) innovation hubs. It provides new opportunities to enhance manufacturing firm resilience and promote the sustainable development of the manufacturing sector. The creation of the National New-Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zones (AI Pilot Zones) is viewed in this study as a quasi-natural experiment. Using data from Chinese A-share-listed manufacturing firms from 2015 to 2023, we employ a staggered DID model to evaluate the impact of the policy on manufacturing firm resilience. We find that the AI Pilot Zone policy increases manufacturing firm resilience by an average of 0.0282 units. The analysis of potential mechanisms shows that the policy significantly promotes digital talent agglomeration, stimulates urban innovation vitality, and improves firm-level supply chain efficiency. These findings are consistent with the theoretical expectations and provide supportive evidence that these factors may constitute potential mechanisms associated with the policy’s effect on manufacturing firm resilience. The heterogeneity analysis reveals a pronounced “weakness-compensating” effect. At the regional level, the resilience-enhancing effect is stronger for manufacturing firms located in areas with relatively weak digital infrastructure. At the industry level, the effect is more pronounced among firms in low-technology manufacturing industries. At the firm level, the effect is stronger for firms with lower levels of human capital, weaker innovation capacity, and lagging digital transformation. Overall, this study provides micro-level evidence on the resilience effects of the AI Pilot Zone policy and offers policy implications for integrating AI more effectively with the real economy. Full article

Low-carbon transformation requires substantial investments, challenging capital-constrained manufacturers to adopt carbon emission reduction (CER) technologies. While external financing alleviates capital shortages, it cannot address potential profit imbalances that trigger fairness concerns. We investigate a low-carbon supply chain where a capital-constrained manufacturer adopts CER technologies via a preferential bank loan and sells to a capital-abundant retailer. Unlike prior studies treating CER investments as one-time costs, we model CER technology as a quadratic per-unit royalty licensing fee. We find that, given consumers’ willingness to pay for low-carbon products, financing encourages CER upgrades but creates profit disparities unfavorable to the retailer. Incorporating the retailer’s fairness concerns, results show that compared to the non-fairness scenario, the manufacturer sets a lower wholesale price and cannot earn more. Conversely, the retailer strategically maintains or increases its order quantity, attaining higher profits. Furthermore, the optimal CER level remains invariant regardless of fairness preferences. Finally, supply chain coordination is achievable under specific conditions, yielding a win–win outcome where the manufacturer adopts CER technologies and the retailer’s fairness concerns are accommodated. The quadratic per-unit technology licensing fee we investigated maintains the manufacturer’s motivation and ensures the retailer’s fairness, contributing to the stable and sustainable evolution of low-carbon supply chains. Full article

Addressing nonlinear fluctuations in inbound logistics demand in the intelligent automotive industry, this paper proposes a SARIMA-LSTM-Attention forecasting model incorporating Real-Time Production Progress Feedback (RPF) features. By introducing production progress deviation into a hybrid framework that combines SARIMA-based linear forecasting with attention-enhanced LSTM residual correction, the proposed model effectively captures both linear trends and nonlinear demand disturbances. The model was evaluated using 995 daily observations collected from the inbound logistics system of a large new energy vehicle manufacturer from January 2023 to July 2025, with data from January 2023 to December 2024 used for training and validation and January to July 2025 reserved for testing. Compared with six representative benchmark models, the proposed model achieved the best overall performance, reducing sMAPE from 43.23% to 33.13% relative to the SARIMA baseline, representing an absolute reduction of 10.10 percentage points and a relative improvement of 23.36%. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating real-time production feedback for demand forecasting and provide practical support for lean inventory management and logistics decision-making in automotive supply chains. Full article

A capital-constrained manufacturer sells a durable product to replacement consumers (consumers with a used product) and primary consumers (consumers without one) through a retail platform under agency selling, financing production from either the platform or a bank, with the trade-in program implemented by either the manufacturer or the platform. Four supply chain models are formulated and solved. Comparing the equilibrium decisions and demands, the rankings across the two financing channels are generally cost-dependent, whereas several comparisons across the two trade-in implementers are stable or structurally pinned down. Introducing financing reshapes the trade-in preferences of the manufacturer and the platform relative to agency selling without financing. In the reported numerical comparisons, the manufacturer largely prefers platform financing, and the bank always prefers platform implementation; consumers prefer platform financing when the manufacturer implements the trade-in and manufacturer implementation under platform financing. Three extensions respectively confirm the effects of financing, examine how the government should set the trade-in subsidy, and assess the robustness of the key findings when the manufacturer has positive initial capital. Full article