Economic benefits of the International Land-Sea Trade Corridor: insights from New Rail-Sea Intermodal Services

The objective of this study is to enhance the resilience of the coal-to-liquids (CTL) industrial chain and supply chain to withstand increasing shock pressures. There is an urgent need to improve the resilience of the industrial chain and supply chain. This paper identifies 21 resilience-influencing factors from 4 perspectives: absorption capacity, adaptability, recovery capacity, and self-learning capacity; it then constructs an evaluation indicator system. The Interval Type 2 Fuzzy-Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory-Analytic Network Process (IT2F-DEMATEL-ANP) method is adopted to determine the weights of the indicator system, and a resilience evaluation is performed based on the Interval Type 2 Fuzzy-Prospect Theory-Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (IT2F-PT-TOPSIS) method. Furthermore, in the case of the CTL industrial chain and supply chain of China Shenhua Energy Group Ningxia Coal Industry Co., Ltd. (CENC) (Ningxia, China), this study ranks the resilience level from 2018 to 2022 to identify the factors that have contributed to a reduction in resilience and to implement measures to enhance the resilience of the CTL industrial chain and supply chain. The results show that the level of the CTL industrial chain and supply chain resilience was lowest in 2020, while it was highest in 2021. Factors such as the degree of domestication of key technologies, the rationality of the CTL industry layout, and the stability of supply and demand chains are identified as significant determinants of resilience levels. This points the way to enhancing the resilience of the CTL industry and supply chain.

As unexpected events such as natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, and overseas containment have caused inevitable shocks to the energy industrial chain and supply chain, the current global energy crisis is intensifying, and different countries and regions have adopted different strategies according to the characteristics of their own national resource endowments in order to cope with energy security. Maintaining the security of the coal industrial chain and supply chain is a prerequisite for energy security to be effectively ensured, considering the main position of coal in China’s energy. Therefore, in the face of multiple uncertain risk factors under today’s momentous changes, this paper constructs an industrial coal chain and supply chain resilience evaluation indicator system from the perspective of resilience, based on four representational capabilities of resilience, namely preparedness, absorptive capacity, recovery capacity, and adaptability, in order to profoundly understand and enhance the resilience of the coal industrial chain and supply chain. An integrated method combining Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Prospect Theory and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (Interval Type-2F-PT-TOPSIS) is proposed for evaluating the resilience level of the coal industrial chain and supply chain. In the case of Shaanxi Province in China, it was found that the worst level of resilience of the coal industrial chain and supply chain in Shaanxi Province was in 2018, and the best was in 2021. Finally, based on the evaluation results, recommendations are provided to the key nodes of the industrial chain and supply chain in Shaanxi Province with a view to improving their resilience levels to cope with uncertain risks.

With the continuous promotion of digital transformation of logistics and supply chain in the automotive manufacturing industry, the demand for new technologies is increasing day by day. This article empirically analyzes the impact of digital transformation of logistics and supply chain in the automotive manufacturing industry on the adoption of blockchain technology, based on research data from domestic automakers and third-party automotive logistics companies. The research results found that the digital transformation of logistics and supply chain in the automotive manufacturing industry has promoted employees' adoption of blockchain technology as a whole. The impact of digital transformation of logistics and supply chain in the automotive manufacturing industry on the adoption of blockchain technology varies in different application scenarios. The research results will help promote the innovative application of blockchain technology in the digital transformation of logistics and supply chain in the automotive manufacturing industry, providing new paths and opportunities for industrial upgrading and transformation.

After the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, the industrial supply chain in different industries has exposed a series of problems. The Party Central Committee clearly pointed out that we should improve the stability and competitiveness of the industrial supply chain. The upstream and downstream automobile industry has a long industry chain with a complex supply system, and it has both shortcomings and advantages. In order to ensure the stability of the supply chain of China's automobile industry, analyze the bottlenecks of the industry and put forward corresponding solutions, this paper used big data to establish a supply chain database of independent brand automobile as a new analysis tool, to enhance the analysis accuracy, specify the measures and analyze the key links of China's automobile industry being controlled by others through the network diagram and risk rating table. Next, it is suggested to establish and improve the supply chain database of the whole automobile industry as soon as possible, improve the data collection and inter departmental coordination mechanism, and accelerate the establishment of a “dual circulation” development pattern of a new system of automobile industry development in which domestic economic cycle plays a leading role while international economic cycle remains its extension and supplement.

The paper objective the development of a comprehensive approach to building a resilient supply chain in the food industry using Industry 4.0 technologies is underway. This includes identifying key technologies that can enhance efficiency, transparency, and adaptability of supply chains, as well as providing recommendations and developing steps of implementation a sustainable supply chain in the food industry in accordance with Industry 4.0 principles. The following methods were chosen as an approach to achieve the goal of this research: study and systematization of information on innovative technologies and approaches of Industry 4.0, comparative analysis of the components of these technologies, identification of disadvantages and advantages. Study and analysis of national and international experience of using Industry 4.0 technology in the food industry. This methodology will allow for a comprehensive approach to developing a sustainable supply chain in the food industry, considering both technological and economic aspects. The research finding modern integrations of innovative technologies and Industry 4.0 approaches have been identified for creating a sustainable supply chain in the food industry. A list and key components of modern sustainable supply chain technologies in the food industry have been formulated, advantages and disadvantages of modern sustainable supply chain technologies have been discussed, and national and international experiences in creating sustainable supply chains in the food industry have been determined. Recommendations have been developed for implementing a sustainable supply chain in the food industry in line with Industry 4.0 principles, which require a comprehensive approach covering the assessment of the current state and goals, integration of cutting-edge technologies, development of flexibility, ensuring resilience, environmental responsibility, and active collaboration with partners. Steps have been developed to successfully create a sustainable supply chain in the food industry using Industry 4.0 technologies, focused on the effective implementation of digital initiatives.

Currently, the global landscape is undergoing rapid transformation. The trend of economic globalization is experiencing a reversal, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, geopolitical conflicts are intensifying, and global industrial and supply chains are undergoing accelerated restructuring. Represented by the United States, Western countries have elevated software supply chain security to a national strategy and introduced a series of policies to strengthen critical software supply chain security. Compared with developed countries in Europe and America, the weak industrial foundation and low level of industrial chain have become the “Achilles heel” that affects the high-quality development of China' s manufacturing industry and even national economic security. Therefore, improving the security level of China' s key software industry chain and supply chain is of great significance for cultivating new quality productivity, promoting new industrialization, and implementing the overall national security concept. From a security perspective, this article combs through the development status and achievements of China' s critical software industry chain and supply chain, deeply deconstructs the potential risks and weak links in such aspects as technological autonomy, ecological construction, and risk prevention and control, and puts forward suggestions from the dimensions of strategic layout, technological breakthrough, system construction, industrial cluster, etc. , so as to provide support for building a security governance system for China' s critical software industry chain and supply chain.

This article discusses challenges to the supply chain in today's steel industry. In the steel industry, the supply chain, apart from actual production, is an extremely complex task, requiring the consideration of numerous factors and objectives. Sharply fluctuating demand, raw materials supply and uncertain prices produce a negative impact on steel production. At the same time, the supply chain of the steel industry has to consider multiple objectives and multiple stages of steel production and supply chain simultaneously in a global market. It requires an optimised supply chain alternative by extending visibility of demand based on economy and market, raw material supply based on transportation, and suppliers and their price. This article is concerned with certain factors of the supply chain in the steel industry; it discusses the challenges to the supply chain in the steel industry, and proposes certain ways to achieve an optimised supply chain and win-win path in visibility across all participants, from steel producers to customer demand. Finally, some results are summarised.

Background: The objective of this qualitative research was to explore the impact of certain predefined factors on the sustainability of supply chains in Industry 5.0. The sustainability of supply chains was assessed by considering six factors from the existing literature: circular logistics, Industry 5.0 technologies, intellectual level and learning, logistics innovation, sustainable supply chain practices, and the managerial strategy of the company. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted based on an interview guide with 14 participants who serve as managers and executives in supply chain management in Morocco. The interviews were transcribed, followed by lexical and thematic analysis using QSR NVivo 15 software. Results: The results showed that all the factors studied play a major role in achieving sustainable supply chain management. The testimonies of all participants highlighted the crucial role that Industry 5.0 technologies play in achieving the sustainability of supply chains, while combining them with the other factors studied. Consequently, these results made it possible to validate and confirm the six factors previously identified from the existing literature, while retaining them for potential future quantitative studies. Conclusions: To meet the dimensions of sustainability, it is recommended to focus on the most impactful factors in maintaining a sustainable supply chain and on all the possible interactions between these factors. Indeed, this study represents, on the one hand, an invitation for supply chain managers to pay greater attention to factors related to sustainability, and on the other hand, an initial pathway for future research that may subsequently highlight the interactions between factors leading to sustainability. This could help propose applicable models for supply chain managers, enabling them to adopt more effective strategies and identify the most feasible combinations of factors to achieve sustainable logistics.

PurposeThis study aims to explore the dependence structure among Chinese firms across the emerging 5G industry at different stages and to provide some strategic insights for market participants.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopt macroeconomic fundamentals and the log-returns of 45 listed firms in the Chinese 5G industry to construct the weighted adjacency matrix by measuring the correlation parameters and then use the triangulated maximally filtered graph (TMFG) algorithm to construct the dependence network. It analyses the topological structure of the constructed networks to obtain the dependence characteristics for each firm in the whole industrial supply chain at different levels.FindingsThe empirical results provide a comprehensive and concise snapshot of the industrial structure, across the whole 5G industry at different levels, rather than just a “one-to-one” pattern. Specifically, the dependence characteristics of different firms are heterogeneous, and most firms are highly connected with partners in the whole industrial supply chain, whereas a few firms that are weakly connected. Those closely connected firms are usually in the midstream. In addition, compared with firms at different levels, downstream firms usually have closer dependencies and stronger influence capabilities.Practical implicationsRegulators not only should promote stability development for those firms most intensely connected with whole industry chain but also protect those firms with weak link in the whole industry chain. Investors should better understand the embedded ties among different firms to obtain effective market information and can select multiple firms with fewer connections as backup to conduct joint investment for risk mitigation. Mangers should give priority to the central players/firms in the whole industrial supply chain and establish the alliances with closely connected firms.Originality/valueThis study contributes to both the information system and operation management literature by constructing a new network method, Copula-TMFG, to capture the dependence structure among Chinese firms in 5G industry, empirically providing some strategic insights for 5G industry stakeholders, such as regulators, investors and managers.

Petroleum and petrochemical industry is the major part in China energy consumption, and closed-loop supply chain management is an important thought for petroleum equipment industry to make energy conservation and emission reductions come true. In view of the frequent emergencies on a global scale, in considering of stochastic demand, it is studied for three-level closed-loop supply chain of petroleum equipment industry to respond to demand emergencies with all unit quantity discount contract. The result shows that demand emergencies can cause a certain degree of effect to closed-loop supply chain of petroleum equipment industry. The original parameters can keep the supply chain coordinative when the market demand changed slightly, and the supply chain of petroleum equipment industry can be of anti-emergencies-ability by parameters being adjusted when the market demand changed much. That is, the supply chain coordination will be broken under the previous contract. However, no need to change retailers' recycling price in any case.

PurposeThis study aims to examine the implementation of agile practices in Industry 4.0 to assess the financial performance measurements of manufacturing firms. It also investigates the relationship between supply chain performance and financial performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on an experimental research design by collecting data from 329 responses from key officials of manufacturing firms. The analyses are carried out to explore this modern concept with the help of the SPSS program, which is used to conduct a confirmatory factor and reliability analysis and Smart-partial least square (PLS) version 4.0 with structural equation modeling.FindingsThis research demonstrates the positive effect agile supply chain strategies in Industry 4.0 may have on manufacturing companies' financial performance as a whole. Everything throughout the supply chain in Industry 4.0, from the manufacturers to the end users, is taken into account as a potential performance booster. The values obtained from the model's study show that it is both dependable and effective, surpassing the threshold for such claims. The research is supported by factors like customer involvement (CUS), continuous improvement (CI), integration (INT), modularity (MOD), management style (MS) and supplier involvement (SI) but is undermined by factors including postponement (PPT).Research limitations/implicationsAccording to the findings of the study, Industry 4.0 firms' financial performance and overall competitiveness are significantly improved when their supply chains are more agile. A more agile supply chain helps businesses to more rapidly adapt to shifts in consumer demand, shorten the amount of time it takes to produce a product, enhance product quality and boost customer happiness. As a consequence of this, there will be an increase in revenue, an improvement in profitability and continued sustainable growth.Originality/valueThere are literary works available on agile practices in various fields, but the current study outlines the need to understand how supply chains perform financially under the mediating effect of agile supply chains in Industry 4.0 which contribute most to the organization's success. The study will aid companies in understanding how agile practices will further the overall performance of the organization financially.

Pharmaceutical supply chains experience delays and disruptions affecting access to essential medicines across regions. These challenges are caused by weak forecasting, long procurement cycles, fragmented distribution, poor quality data and shortage of skilled workers. These factors are managed with both forward looking and response-based approaches. Regular stock review, good communication, fast purchasing and close supervision help limit shortages. Response-based strategies like keeping extra stock may instead prove unsustainable over time. Supply chain structure can be adapted to product risk and working with suppliers can improve the ability to manage uncertainty. Flexible systems, real time information and robust internal processes allow quick responses and prevent major supply failures. Similar risks are faced by pharmaceutical firms worldwide when setting up supply networks. Other common problems are product faults, sudden halts in production, slow order handling, late shipments and poor matching of supply and demand. Rather than taking these risks, firms plan to do production in-house near key markets, work with local partners or outsource non-core work to distant locations. Some have gone away from far-off suppliers and are using nearshore or in-house models. Moving production closer reduces delay/improves control. For non-core products, outsourcing to offshore locations is still common but some companies set up offshore centres to manage operations directly. Changing supply chains to cope with delays and risks requires better forecasting tools, better data systems and trained people. Firms work with partners, rely on digital systems and have the right setup for various products. Global medicine supply chains must respond quickly to changes while reducing costs and maintaining product flow constant. Global health needs require clear strategy, simple design and fast action. Study survey was conducted among 218 people from supply chain department of pharmaceutical industry to know the factors that show the complexity and challenges of supply chain in pharmaceutical industry and found that Regulatory Compliance, Cold chain, Long Supply Chains, and Product shelf life are the factors that show the complexity and challenges of supply chain in pharmaceutical industry.

Nowadays, along with increasing companies’ activities, one of the main environmental protective tools is green supply chain management (GSCM). Since fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies are manufacturing materials that usually require special warehousing as well as different distribution systems, and since companies of food products tend to fall into this area, the safety of their manufactured materials is a vital global challenge. For this reason, organizations in addition to governments have realized the importance of the green supply chain in these industries. Therefore, the present study examines the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the green supply chain in the FMCG industry. There are several performance indicators for the green supply chain. In this study, the KPIs were extracted based on the literatures as well as the opinions of experts through which key indicators in FMCG industries were identified. Using the fuzzy decision -making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method, the relationships and interactions of these key indices were determined. Moreover, a fuzzy nonlinear mathematical modeling was used to investigate the significance of these indicators. It is revealed that the organizational environmental management factor has the highest priority.

Food security and digital economy in China: A pathway towards sustainable development

In the healthcare industry, supply chain and logistics management are an important element in supporting the sustainability of the healthcare business. Business continuity in the healthcare industry requires improved quality of the healthcare sector. The quality of healthcare services may be affected by the performance of supply chain and logistics. Supply chain and logistics processes provide a substantial contribution in the overall financing of healthcare. The high costs incurred to finance the activities of the supply chain and logistics in the healthcare industry providing a major challenge for healthcare management. Management is demanded to achieve quality healthcare supply chain processes at a high level that minimize operating costs and improve service quality. So that, strategy and innovation in management are needed to achieve a high quality performance of supply chain and logistics in the healthcare industry in order to run effectively and efficiently. This paper discusses the research that focuses on the strategic management in the field of supply chain and logistics management in the healthcare industry. Based on obtained and selected articles will discuss various strategies and innovation within the healthcare system to improve supply chain performance.