Leveraging Blockchain and Digital Twins for Low-Carbon, Circular Supply Chains: Evidence from the Moroccan Manufacturing Sector

Abdallah-Ou-Moussa, Soukaina, Wynn, Martin G ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7619-6079 and Rouaine, Zakaria (2026) Leveraging Blockchain and Digital Twins for Low-Carbon, Circular Supply Chains: Evidence from the Moroccan Manufacturing Sector. Sustainability, 18 (2). pp. 1-40. doi:10.3390/su18020991

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Abstract

As global supply chains face increasing pressure to reconcile economic efficiency, environmental responsibility, and ethical transparency, emerging digital technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for sustainable transformation. This article examines this dynamic in the context of the Moroccan industrial sector, with particular reference to blockchain and digital twin technologies. The study employs a rigorous mixed-methods design, combining an in-depth qualitative exploration with 30 industry professionals and a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) model based on survey data from 125 Moroccan manufacturing firms. The findings highlight the synergistic contribution of blockchain and digital twins in enabling circular, low-carbon, and resilient supply chains. Blockchain adoption strengthens environmental impact traceability, data reliability, and responsible governance, while digital twin systems enhance eco-efficiency through real-time modeling and predictive flow simulation. Circular integration emerges as a critical enabler, significantly amplifying the positive effects of both technologies by aligning physical and informational flows within closed-loop processes. With its strong empirical grounding and contextual relevance to an emerging economy, this research provides actionable insights for policymakers, industrial managers, and supply chain practitioners committed to accelerating the sustainable transformation of production systems. It also offers a renewed understanding of how digitalization and circularity jointly support environmental performance within industrial ecosystems.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Blockchain; Digital twins; Circular supply chain; Environmental performance; Industry 4.0; Supply Chain X.O; Sustainable transformation
Related URLs:	Publisher
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Computer software > QA76.9 Other topics > QA76.9.B56 Blockchains Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Computer software > QA76.9 Other topics > QA76.9.V5 Virtual computer systems
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Martin Wynn
Date Deposited:	20 Jan 2026 11:55
Last Modified:	03 Feb 2026 10:45
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/15758

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