Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Business and Entrepreneurship (ICSBE 2025)

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Blockchain for Sustainable Supply Chains: A Bibliometric and Thematic Evolution Analysis (2015–2024)

Authors
Theophilus Kofi Anyanful1, *, Aigbavboa2, Clinton2, *, Wellington Didibhuku Thwala2
1Accra Technical University, Department of Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Accra, Ghana
2University of Johannesburg, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Johannesburg, South Africa
*Corresponding author. Email: t.k.anyanful@uj.ac.za
*Corresponding author.
Corresponding Authors
Theophilus Kofi Anyanful, Clinton
Available Online 26 December 2025.
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6463-930-8_5How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Blockchain; Supply Chain Management (SCM); Bibliometric Analysis; Sustainability; Traceability; Trust; Smart Contracts
Abstract

Blockchain is increasingly recognised as a disruptive technology in supply chain management (SCM), enhancing transparency, trust, and traceability. However, research remains fragmented. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of 4,044 Scopus-indexed publications (2015–2024) to map the intellectual structure, leading contributors, and thematic evolution of blockchain-SCM research. Using Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny, the findings reveal exponential publication growth, with early conceptual discussions (2017–2019) transitioning to adoption-oriented studies (2020–2021) and a recent focus on sustainability, traceability, and Industry 4.0 integration (2022–2024). Key authors include Kannan Govindan, Joseph Sarkis, and Horst Treiblmaier, while major publication outlets are Sustainability (Switzerland), IEEE Access, and the International Journal of Production Research. Keyword and thematic analyses indicate sustainability, smart contracts, and IoT integration as emerging hotspots. Yet, critical gaps remain concerning scalability, interoperability, energy efficiency, and regulatory frameworks. The study provides a panoramic overview of blockchain-SCM scholarship, offering insights to guide future research, managerial decision-making, and policy formulation for developing transparent, sustainable, and digitally integrated supply chains.

Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Business and Entrepreneurship (ICSBE 2025)
Series
Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research
Publication Date
26 December 2025
ISBN
978-94-6463-930-8
ISSN
2352-5428
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6463-930-8_5How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Theophilus Kofi Anyanful
AU  - Aigbavboa
AU  - Clinton
AU  - Wellington Didibhuku Thwala
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/26
TI  - Blockchain for Sustainable Supply Chains: A Bibliometric and Thematic Evolution Analysis (2015–2024)
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Business and Entrepreneurship (ICSBE 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 34
EP  - 60
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-930-8_5
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-930-8_5
ID  - Anyanful2025
ER  -