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The first edition of the International Conference on Industry 4 [...]

In submitting conference proceedings to Engineering Proceedings, the volume editors of the proceedings certify to the publisher that all papers published in this volume have been subjected to peer review administered by the volume editors [...]

This research critically examines how the traceable dairy supply chain can be implemented in Ukraine to foster socio-economic outcomes, such as reduced food safety risk, higher product quality, improved shipping and storage, and greater consumer confidence for improved export potential [...]

The current war in Ukraine has severely disrupted global food supply chains due to the significant decline in the production of grain commodities, of which Ukraine and Russia are major global suppliers. This creates problems in today’s globalised food systems. In particular, a number of countries are heavily dependent on food imports from Ukraine and/or Russia, particularly some developing nations in regions like the Middle East and North Africa. As a result, alternative suppliers need to increase production and food supply chains need to adapt distribution processes. In these situations, building resilience in food supply chains is critical to react to disruptions. Resilience has become a widely researched topic in the context of food supply chains, leading to the exploration of different strategies. One potential strategy to improve resilience is to integrate digital technologies to optimise food operations. One of the digital technologies at the core of Industry 4.0, and one that is increasingly being used, is the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT refers to systems that connect devices via the Internet, allowing them to collect and share data in real time within a network. The successful use of IoT in industrial systems has already been demonstrated and the food industry has begun to embrace the opportunities this technology offers. This research focuses on the potential of the IoT to support food supply chains by making them more resilient, particularly in the context of the disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine. Using a literature review and data from statistical sources, we explore the challenges posed to food supply chains by the Russo–Ukrainian war, and identify specific vulnerabilities that the IoT can address. We discuss the challenges of implementing this technology, particularly in wartime situations, and its potential to strengthen food supply chain operations through its ability to collect and share accurate data in real time.

This research aims to develop a better understanding of how the adoption of Industry 4 [...]

The aim of this research is to comparatively analyse the potential for implementing Industry 4 [...]

Food is one of the most traded goods, and the conflict in Ukraine, one of the European breadbaskets, has triggered a significant additional disruption in the global food supply chains after the COVID-19 impact. The disruption to food output, supply chains, availability, and affordability could have a long-standing impact. As a result, the availability and supply of a wide range of food raw materials and finished food products are under threat, and global markets have seen recent increases in food prices. Furthermore, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has adversely affected food supply chains, with significant effects on production, sourcing, manufacturing, processing, logistics, and significant shifts in demand between nations reliant on imports from Ukraine. This paper aims to analyze the impacts of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on the effectiveness and responsiveness of the global food supply chains. A PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) approach, including grey literature, was deployed to investigate six key areas of the food supply chains that would be impacted most due to the ongoing war. Findings include solutions and strategies to mitigate supply chain impacts such as alternative food raw materials, suppliers and supply chain partners supported by technological innovations to ensure food safety and quality in warlike situations.

Background: This research aims to identify how blockchain technology could support the ecological embeddedness of the coffee supply chain. Ecological embeddedness is a subset of the circular economy (CE) that demands legitimacy through design changes to product, production and/or packaging for benefits to economic actors and the environment. This is in contrast with legitimacy as a public relations exercise. Blockchain is a digital transformation technology that is not fully conceptualized with respect to supply chain implementation and the related strategy formulation, particularly in the context of sustainability. Furthermore, the integration of consumers into the CE remains not well understood or researched, with the main focus of CE being the cycling of resources. Methods: This research employs a qualitative case study methodology of the first coffee business in the USA to use blockchain technology as an exemplar. Gap analysis is then applied to identify how blockchain could be used to advance from the current state to a more sustainable one. Results: Findings indicate that the implementation of blockchain is not ecologically embedded in the example studied. Conclusions: The extension of blockchain technology to consider the by-products of production and valorizable waste throughout the supply chain as assets would support ecologically embedded CE for coffee.

Food Logistics 4.0 is a term derived from Industry 4.0 focusing on all the aspects of food logistics management based on cyber-physical systems. It states that real-time information and the interconnectivity of things, supplemented with novel technologies will revolutionise and improve the way food logistics is carried out. It has tremendous potential in terms of bringing transparency, swift delivery of food at reduced cost, flexibility, and capability to deliver the right quality product at the right place and at the right time. This paper discusses the vital technologies within Food Logistics 4.0 and the opportunities and challenges in this regard. It focuses primarily on food logistics, including resource planning, warehouse management, transportation management, predictive maintenance, and data security. Internet of Things, Blockchain, Robotics and Automation and artificial intelligence are some of the technologies discussed.