Firm-level supply chain networks

The everyday availability of goods and services relies on functioning global supply chains. Global supply chains are highly intertwined, forming complex and dynamically evolving networks involving hundreds of millions of firms. The complexity of supply chain networks (SCNs) and lean management strategies have made SCNs more vulnerable to disruptions. Recent crises have highlighted that localized shocks can quickly spread through the network and affect the whole system, causing major disruptions. Supply chain risk has been recognized as a major business concern across various industries and has become a priority for many governments. The intensifying climate and ecological crises, and heightened geopolitical instability are anticipated to further amplify these challenges.

Current research is scattered across various disciplines, from Manufacturing Engineering and Supply Chain Management to Macroeconomics. To effectively address current systemic challenges, zooming in on the supply chain of a single firm or several firms within an industry is not comprehensive enough. At the same time, a macroeconomic view, while covering a larger part of the economy, usually has a rudimentary description of firms’ heterogeneous behavior. Different fields looking at supply chains under different lenses can thus complement each other.

Network science, and complexity science more generally, provide excellent tools and frameworks to leverage the recent advances in data availability and develop new, data-driven models with a more realistic representation of firms’ behavior and their interactions. The goal of this NetSci satellite on Firm-level supply-chain networks is to provide a fertile ground for cross-contamination between different fields allowing for new insights to emerge. This Satellite aims at bringing together researchers working on firm-level SCNs from any perspective to discuss state-of-the-art work in their respective fields and at fostering collaborations with the wider network science community.