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  Analysing Strategies for Resilient Supply Chains with a Circular Economy Approach


   Faculty of Engineering & Digital Technologies

   Applications accepted all year round  Self-Funded PhD Students Only

About the Project

The manner in which customers and organisations buy goods and services have changed dramatically in recent times. Globalisation policies, reduction of trade barriers, development of new technologies (e.g. mobile technologies, the internet, the digital economy, Industry 4.0) etc. have contributed to promote change in operations and their supply chains in order to enhance their competitive advantage and level of responsiveness to a dynamic business environment. Furthermore, regulations, sustainability issues and the circular economy are creating new opportunities and challenges to improve operational and strategic performance.

However, disruption in the supply chain can have a very critical negative effect on its performance, with short, medium and long term consequences. Natural disasters, human conflicts, unexpected changes in national policies, global pandemics, political crisis, regulations, new technologies, etc. can dramatically disrupt global supply chains of different industries.

Modern organisations need to formulate and implement successful strategies to enhance supply chain resilience and rapidly overcome the challenges of unexpected disruptions. This is also very relevant for organisations that are seeking to take advantage of a dynamic circular economy environment in which products are designed to have an extended life cycle, contributing to reduce the impact on climate change.

Therefore, the aim of this PhD research project is to analyse innovative strategies to design more resilient supply chains within a Circular Economy environment. Global supply chains can be considered as complex systems that operate within a dynamic business environment. Part of this research involves defining the appropriate methodology to analyse this complex system.

Entry requirements

This project could be applied to different industries, depending on the background or experience of the PhD applicant.

The PhD applicant should have a relevant engineering or science background, preferably with knowledge or experience in operations and supply chain management. This could include an MSc in a relevant area. This PhD research project requires applicants who are willing to learn new research methods, modelling techniques and software, and to acquire knowledge outside their current academic/professional background.

How to apply

Formal applications can be submitted via the University of Bradford web site; applicants will need to register an account and select 'Full-time PhD in Engineering' as the course, and then specify the project title when prompted.

About the University of Bradford

Bradford is a research-active University supporting the highest-quality research. We excel in applying our research to benefit our stakeholders by working with employers and organisations world-wide across the private, public, voluntary and community sectors and actively encourage and support our postgraduate researchers to engage in research and business development activities.

Positive Action Statement

At the University of Bradford our vision is a world of inclusion and equality of opportunity, where people want to, and can, make a difference. We place equality and diversity, inclusion, and a commitment to social mobility at the centre of our mission and ethos. In working to make a difference we are committed to addressing systemic inequality and disadvantages experienced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students.

Under sections 158-159 of the Equality Act 2010, positive action can be taken where protected group members are under-represented. At Bradford, our data show that people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic groups who are UK nationals are significantly under-represented at the postgraduate researcher level. 

These are lawful measures designed to address systemic and structural issues which result in the under-representation of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic students in PGR studies.

Architecture, Building & Planning (3) Business & Management (5) Environmental Sciences (13)

Funding Notes

This is a self-funded PhD project; applicants will be expected to pay their own fees or have a suitable source of third-party funding. UK students may be able to apply for a Doctoral Loan from Student Finance for financial support.


References

Al-Talib, M.; Melhem, W.; Anosike, A.; Garza-Reyes, J.; Nadeem, S., Kumar, A. (2020); Achieving resilience in the supply chain by applying IoT technology, Procedia CIRP, Vol. 91, pp. 752-757.
Christopher, M. and Peck, H. (2004), Building the Resilient Supply Chain, The International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 1-14.
Killingsworth, W. (2011); Design, Analysis and Optimization of Supply Chains: A System Dynamics Approach, The Supply and Operations Management Collection, Business Expert Press.
Lacy P.; Long, J.; Spindler, W. (2020); The Circular Economy Handbook: realizing the circular advantage, Palgrave-Macmillan.
Meadows, D. (2008); Thinking in Systems, Sustainability Institute, Chelsea Green Publishing.
Morecroft, J. (2015); Strategic Modelling and Business Dynamics: A feedback systems approach, Wiley.
Sterman, J. (2000); Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, McGraw-Hill.
Tonelli, M. & Cristoni, N. (2019); Strategic Management and the Circular Economy, Routledge.
Waters, D. (2011); Supply Chain Risk Management: Vulnerability and Resilience in Logistics, KoganPage.
Wieland, A., Stevenson, M., Melnyk, S.A., Davoudi, S. and Schultz, L. (2023), Thinking differently about supply chain resilience: what we can learn from social-ecological systems thinking, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 43 No. 1, pp. 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-10-2022-0645

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