Leveraging AI and blockchain for GVC resilience: a case study approach
Sina Mirzaye Shirkoohi, Muhammad Mohiuddin · International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications · 2025
The paradigm of efficiency-driven Global Value Chains (GVCs) is yielding to an era of profound geopolitical volatility, compelling firms to develop new resilience strategies. While firms adopt AI and blockchain in response, the literature offers limited insight into the strategic mechanisms that translate these digital tools into tangible resilience against non-market risks. This study addresses this gap through an in-depth, qualitative case study of a multinational retail corporation. The findings reveal three core mechanisms: the cultivation of a ‘digital duality’ where AI builds both operational agility and strategic foresight; the use of blockchain for ‘institutional navigation’ to enhance legitimacy and manage non-market pressures; and the pragmatic management of an ‘implementation paradox’ arising from deep-seated organisational and ecosystem frictions. The study contributes a novel, mechanism-based theory of digital GVC resilience, moving beyond a techno-centric view to explain how firms strategically enact technology to navigate a turbulent global landscape.