Research Paper on Environmental Sustainability Voted Best Paper 2024
Journal "Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain“ honors research on cost and revenue in circular supply chain management with "Best Research Award 2024"
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A research paper on cost and revenue in sustainable supply chain management received a "Best Research Award 2024" from the journal "Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain". Prof. Dr. Matthias Thürer, Chair of Factory Planning and Intralogistics at Chemnitz University of Technology, played a key role in the study. Photo: Chemnitz University of Technology
Sustainability is a central research topic in supply chain management. It encompasses sustainable, environmentally friendly, closed-loop, and circular concepts. A current research paper in this field, "On cost and revenue in circular supply chains: Where to close the loop?", in which the Chair of Factory Planning and Intralogistics (Head: Prof. Dr. Matthias Thürer) at Chemnitz University of Technology is significantly involved, was honored with a "Best Research Award 2024" by the renowned international journal "Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain." The study, conducted jointly with the Josef Ressel Center for Data-Driven Business Model Innovation in Steyr, Austria, examined companies' cost and revenue sharing through analytical modeling of cash flows in linear and circular multi-stage supply chains.
"Previous research has predominantly focused on dyadic or triadic supply chain structures. The question of where loops should be closed — that is, where recycler, repurposer, remanufacturer, refurbisher, repairer, and/or reuser should be positioned — remains largely unanswered," Thürer summarizes. "We were particularly interested in how the position in the supply chain affects companies' costs and revenues. The results have important theoretical and practical implications. They show that companies upstream of the loop closer are negatively impacted by the reuse of materials. There is therefore a risk that companies will leave circular supply chains if no balancing mechanism is installed," adds the Chemnitz professor.
For the Chair of Factory Planning and Intralogistics, the award from the journal "Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain" is already the second recognition this year. In March 2025, the International Journal of Production Research named a paper on simulation in relation to resilience as "Top Trending Article 2024".
Keyword: Journal "Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain"
The Journal "Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain" is an international, transdisciplinary companion journal to the Journal of Cleaner Production. It focuses on topics related to logistics and supply chains that support the sustainable development of society.
For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Matthias Thürer, email matthias.thuerer@mb.tu-chemnitz.de.
Mario Steinebach
08.04.2025
