Editorial note for special issue on “Enhancing supply chain resiliency in an era of reglobalization”

The accelerating globalisation has resulted in the gradual emergence of its drawbacks (e.g., widening wealth gap, unbalanced labour market). In addition, current international trade tensions and the post-pandemic are gradually changing the original trajectory of globalisation and moving toward de-globalisation. Accordingly, re-globalisation has emerged under the dual role of de-globalistion, caused by the uncertainty of international trade policies and globalisation driven by technical progress and the continuous improvement of logistics infrastructure.

In the reglobalization era, we have witnessed a resurgence of global interconnectedness coupled with new challenges and disruptions. Supply chain resilience is essential to maintain normal operations of firms, which has attracted extensive attention from both academia and industry (Choi et al. 2023; Xue and Li 2023). This special issue aims to explore and address the evolving landscape of supply chain management in the face of reglobalization. The articles included herein offer a comprehensive analysis of strategies, technologies, and innovative approaches to enhance the resilience of supply chains in this dynamic era.

The significance of this special issue lies not only in its timely exploration of a pressing issue but also in its potential impact on practical business operations and policy-making (He, Chen, and Xu 2021; Kazancoglu et al. 2021; Zhang et al. 2021; Zhou, Wu, and Tan 2021). As global supply chains become more intricate, the need for resilience against unforeseen disruptions is paramount. The diverse array of research presented here contributes to a holistic understanding of supply chain resiliency, offering academically rigorous and practically relevant insights. In the following, we briefly review the relevant research on influence factors of supply chain resilience, assessment of supply chain disruption risk, and supply chain resilience construction and introduce the featured papers in this IJLRA special issue.

First, identifying the factors that affect supply chain resilience can provide theoretical guidance for enterprises to build supply chain resilience. Specifically, Sharma et al. (2022) identified the cause-effect relationships of supply chain vulnerability factors using the fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory approach, contributing to the literature on supply chain vulnerability. Narassima et al. (2022) developed a theoretical model for drivers of supply chain resilience. The use of emerging technologies provides a powerful tool for upstream and downstream information sharing and environmental monitoring in the supply chain, thus improving supply chain visibility (He, Chen, and Xu 2021; Li, Li, and Liu 2023; Ning et al. 2023; Shi, Chen, and Lai 2023). Li, Xue, et al. (2022) empirically proved that blockchain technology is critical in enhancing supply chain agility and robustness.

Second, accurately quantifying disruption risk and assessing supply chain resilience can reduce enterprise losses when disruptions occur. For example, Gao et al. (2019) developed a method using the time-to-recover parameters to capture the cascade effect of supply chain disruption. Zhang et al. (2021) presented a recovery time equivalent disruption risk measurement model using Value at Risk to measure and quantify the disruption risk. Kazancoglu et al. (2021) investigated the importance of enablers of resilience in the food supply chain and evaluated food supply chain resilience during COVID-19.

Finally, exploring how to improve supply chain resilience has specific theoretical and practical significance (Jain, Girotra, and Netessine 2022; Li, Liu, and Zheng 2022; Li, Li, Liu et al. 2023). Lotfi et al. (2021) explored a robust, risk-aware, resilient, and sustainable closed-loop supply chain network design to tackle demand fluctuation, which can be used to estimate costs, energy consumption, environmental pollution, and employment levels. Li, Feng, and Xu (2023) proposed a blockchain-supported floating billing management system to improve cloud warehousing service resilience. Dong, Qiu, and Xu (2023) provided blockchain-enabled deep-tier financing schemes to mitigate supply chain disruption risks. Zhang et al. (2023) developed a novel resilient supply chain system that can effectively compensate for significant losses due to the unavailability of raw materials.

Before closing, we sincerely thank the authors for their valuable contributions, the peer reviewers for their insightful feedback, and the editorial team for their dedicated efforts in bringing this Special Issue to fruition. Each article reflects the commitment of scholars and practitioners to advancing the field of supply chain management in an era characterised by reglobalization. As we delve into the contents of this special issue, we encourage readers to explore the nuanced perspectives and innovative solutions presented by the contributing authors. We anticipate that this collection of research will deepen our understanding of supply chain resiliency and inspire future inquiries and advancements in the ever-evolving landscape of globalised supply networks. Thank you for joining us on this intellectual journey. We hope this special issue sparks new ideas, fosters discussions, and contributes to the ongoing dialogue on enhancing supply chain resiliency in an era of reglobalization.