Analyzing the Implementation Pathways of Blockchain Technology-Enabled Supply Chain Resilience in the Manufacturing Industry

Abstract

Against the backdrop of escalating geopolitical conflicts, public health crises, and demand volatility, manufacturing supply chains face mounting disruption risks, while traditional management approaches exhibit persistent limitations in information transparency, trust building, and coordinated response. Existing research has largely focused on isolated applications and lacks a comprehensive analysis of the mechanism linking technical characteristics, intermediary capabilities, and supply chain resilience. This study examines how blockchain technology enables supply chain resilience in the manufacturing sector through a systematic literature review and theoretical analysis, supplemented by illustrative industry cases. Drawing on empirical and analytical studies published between 2018 and 2026, the paper identifies three core implementation pathways: enhanced information transparency and real-time sharing to strengthen predictive and adaptive capacity; smart-contract-enabled collaboration to improve cross-organizational coordination; and end-to-end traceability to strengthen risk management and accelerate recovery. Cases such as BMW's PartChain initiative and Walmart's blockchain traceability system demonstrate these pathways in practice. The analysis further reveals that blockchain effectiveness is contingent on capacity level and demand uncertainty. Deployment costs, interoperability gaps, and data privacy concerns constrain broader adoption. The study concludes with targeted countermeasures for firms, industry consortia and regulatory authorities, alongside suggestions for future research directions.