As a result of the recent pandemic, global value chains have completely transformed. This has raised concerns over the ensuing social, economic and environmental trends and related impact on the way supply chains are organised. In this context, the ReSChape project was funded by the European Commission and started in October 2022. During the 3 years of project, the consortium aims to analyse social, economic and environmental changes and disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and evaluate their impact on supply chains. Moreover, the project will study innovative supply chain models, aiming towards streamlined processes to assure humans (workers, consumers and general citizens) to be at the center of the business also thanks to new digital technologies. The results will be complemented with the definition of policy scenarios and recommendations to support sustainability and resilience in supply chains. The ambition of ReSChape can be summarised in four project objectives.
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Objective 1 – To analyse social, economic and environmental changes and disruptions (including COVID) and evaluate their impact on Supply Chains (SCs), identifying related challenges in terms of the relationship between countries, the configuration of the network and the impact on employment. |
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Objective 2 – To study and propose a set of SC models for the evolution of global SC integrating strategies like resource efficiency, closed-loop and humanitarian as a way to increase EU resilience and sustainability, digitalization will be studied as a way to establish new paths for social inclusion considering the needs of urban and rural areas. |
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Objective 3 – To develop Innovative tools for monitoring and assessing sectoral trade patterns and defining mechanisms to evaluate the relationship between disruptions, like pandemics, and global value chains taking into consideration the impact on employment, economic growth, incomes, etc., also in the long term. |
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Objective 4 – To develop innovative policy scenarios with recommendations for future global value chains based on key horizontal issues impacting several sectors and will provide recommendations for EU, national and sectoral strategies, policy measures and targeted actions aimed at shaping fair, inclusive and sustainable trade patterns and SCs. |
During the first year of the ReSChape project, the consortium identified a set of risks for supply chains derived from trends and megatrends related to the PESTLE dimensions (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental) and urged enterprises and policymakers to take actions.
Recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflicts in Ukraine have led to significant disruptions of supply and demand in global supply chains. Inflation and the cost-of-living crisis have created further problems, while environmental pressures, including climate change and resource scarcity, have also contributed to a more challenging economic, business, and societal environment. The rapid developments in social matters as well as the ongoing digital revolution are pressing companies to find a balance between technology-driven and societal approaches. All of these factors have a significant impact on global supply chain performance and urge enterprises and regulators to assess the specific trends and risks they face.
A set of actions to face these risks and to ensure the sustainability and resilience of supply chain processes were identified. Most of the actions are multi-dimensional and can be linked to the improvement of operations in supply chains, to the involvement of actors from ecosystems and society as well as policymakers.
ReSChape keeps moving towards its objective of developing policy scenarios and to propose policies that support public and private organisations in overcoming the economic, environmental, and social impacts of European supply chains as well as increase their capacity to face current and future disruptions.
Contact information: info@reschape.eu
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101061729. |