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Blockchain, in general, diversifies supply chain management in record-keeping and maintains authenticity. In addition, traditional issues and challenges like overflow and information overload press down mysteriously whenever the blockchain steering wheel of the supply chain turns. Factually, the miracle and twists in supply chain resilience have not been incorporated under systematic review homogeneously. As a result, this study reviews the potential impact of blockchain on logistics and supply chain (LSC) efficiency. The methodology of this study provides a subjective assessment of the utility of blockchain-based LSC performance.

On the other hand, the review reveals new insights on its current acceptance and applications, with a particular emphasis on the Limit Redundancy Mechanism and Core Information-based Direct Comparison. Prospectively, the identified facts under the research paradigm and extensive literature survey will subsidize the practices of blockchain technology and possible areas of extension in supply chain resilience in luminous fashion in the future. After all, this study materializes new solid magnitudes, adaptability, and a realistic overview of blockchain-based LSC movements.

The unpredictable distribution of globalization has directed the world economy and revealed the need to establish cooperation in all business processes. This global structure also highlights the necessity of designing an agile supply chain that is capable of continuous information sharing during end-to-end transportation for the purpose of creating sustainable connections. In this process, various strategies enhanced with contemporary information and communication technologies have been developed to create a fast and accurate data-sharing network between logistics service providers and supply chain parties. However, unlike the short-term interruptions experienced in the past, COVID-19 has caused unprecedented problems in the dynamics of most economies. In eliminating these problems, it has been seen that information communication technologies, which provide the advantage of digital visibility in normal operations, need to be redesigned with the technology of the autonomous age. To meet this requirement, Industry 4.0, a revolutionary conceptual trend that started roughly a decade ago but that has become considerably more widespread during COVID-19, has been integrated into business models as a key concept that governs intelligent transformation in the chain. This process, which is today considered a compulsory intelligent transformation rather than an alternative method, has however led to some conflicts, especially in adaptation, expertise, and security subjects. This chapter of the book evaluates, within the scope of cybersecurity and workforce in logistics services, the conflicts created by the digital solution methods that have been integrated into business models to reduce the negative effects of COVID-19.

Over the last decades, freight networks and multimodal integration have been shaped by complex driving forces. Globalisation and consumerism in society significantly contributed to intensify the demand for services in freight transport. Technological breakthroughs and the related development of innovation fed the constant search for faster and cheaper services on a global scale. Altogether, these driving forces have boosted a rapid increase in the volume of freight transport by means of road transport. While industry had modified its networks to meet the demand, the pandemic period brought new challenges to freight networks, forcing the different modes of transport to adapt to the unexpected environment. Some of those reactive solutions might have been adopted temporarily. However, others are expected to become permanent and their deployment in the short-medium term remains to be seen.

This chapter presents an overview of the challenges and respective solutions that were initiated throughout the pandemic period, mostly in response to concerns related to social distance and untypical demand needs. This overview allows for a better foretelling of the future directions and developments in the freight network elements. This chapter approaches the way forward for cities and industry regarding the lasting pandemic effects on freight networks. Such an overview is complemented by an input from an expert survey in order to evaluate the social acceptability towards the expected solutions that are emerging. The outcome of the chapter highlights the main guidelines for the freight networks in the future and correlates them with the pandemic’s permanent effects.

Erel Avineri is associate professor in travel behaviour at the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol. He has 20 years experience of consultancy, research and teaching in transport, logistics and operations management. Since he joined UWE in 2004 he has lead research in the fields of travel behaviour, travel information systems, road safety and behavioural change. Dr Avineri has gained wide recognition for his research on travel behaviour under uncertainty, the incorporation of socio-psychological aspects into behaviour models and the design of behaviour change policy measures. Applying choice architecture, Dr Avineri studies the effect of ‘nudges’ on the perception of and attitudes to CO2 reduction. He holds degrees in industrial engineering and management (BSc) and transportation sciences (MSc, PhD) from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

Industry 5.0 is referred to the subsequent industrialization. The ultimate goal of this transformation is to enable manufacturing solutions through collaboration with man and machine which are more user-friendly and increase work quality in comparison to Industry 4.0. This will be accomplished through the consumption of the creative potential of human specialists in the creation of an industry with more efficient, clever, and precise machines. It is predicted that several exciting breakthroughs and apps will help Industry 5.0 in its plan to gain more productivity and supply personalized goods in an open system. On the other hand, Industry 5.0 has had a greater global and international renown from the very beginning of its existence. Machine learning (ML) technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and big data will create a collaboration with people, robots, and other intelligent devices. Industry 5.0 continues to serve as an attractive driver for our society's workforce skills and young talent in search of purposeful professional lives. There are some challenges as well, such as working with advanced robots requires people to develop skills. People need to gain proper knowledge about collaboration with smart machines and the robot manufacturers industry. However, this ultimate overhaul is necessary for the industry to certify its reason as a solution provider for our society. These things will unquestionably ensure the long-term sustained development (SD) of any nation's economy.

In this chapter, an air cargo shipment planning problem is considered by including individual risk factors of any sub-contracted agents. Due to competitive market conditions, air cargo forwarders are advised to remain flexible in operations. A mixed integer linear programming formulation including the potential for divisible activities is developed to model the shipment planning problem. To solve this complicated problem, we employ an ant colony optimization (ACO) methodology. Numerical examples are generated using data from both the extant literature and from a global air cargo company, allowing investigation of the viability of the novel methodology. We find that the algorithm/methodology provides effective solutions for small problem sizes.

This chapter introduces the volume’s theme by describing the challenges of sustainability in the agri-food industry and the critical role of agri-food supply chains. Following a description of traditional and sustainable supply chain management practices, we discuss the likely characteristics of sustainability-oriented innovations and how organizations pursuing higher levels of economic, social, and environmental performance will need to adapt their capabilities.

Drawing on the emerging concepts and practices from sustainable supply chain management as well as traditional and emerging concepts from innovation, we develop general propositions and expectations about how organizations might address sustainable effectiveness in their supply chains. The importance of the agri-food industry to all three pillars of sustainable effectiveness and predictions about the inability to feed future populations gives the discussion a certain urgency.

Sustainability-oriented innovations in the agri-food supply chain are different from traditional innovations. We develop propositions regarding the driving motivations, their nature and scope (i.e., more radical and systemic than incremental and focused), and the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach. The 10 cases presented in the volume are summarized.