Letters of Credit (LCs) are pivotal in global trade finance, yet traditional processes are plagued by inefficiencies, fraud, and a lack of transparency, particularly in developing economies such as Bangladesh. This study investigates how three technological innovations Blockchain Database Integration (BDI), Collaborative Platforms (COP), and Compliance Automation (CAU) drive the evolution of a Sustainable Letters of Credit Supply Chain (SLCSC), mediated through the development of a Technology-based LC Supply Chain (LCSC). Drawing on a sample of 400 LC stakeholders in Bangladesh, the research employed a quantitative methodology using a reflective measurement model. Data were analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) in IBM SPSS and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in IBM AMOS to assess reliability, validity, and the hypothesized relationships. The results indicate that Compliance Automation exerts a strong, significant positive effect on the LCSC (? = 0.661, p < 0.001) and Collaborative Platforms a weaker but significant effect (? = 0.087, p = 0.04), whereas Blockchain Database Integration has no significant effect (? = 0.016, p = 0.687). The LCSC, in turn, exerts a strong positive impact on the SLCSC (? = 0.938, p < 0.001). The findings demonstrate that compliance automation is the primary enabler of a technology-based LC supply chain, while the influence of blockchain remains constrained by prevailing infrastructural and regulatory conditions. The study’s principal contribution is to disaggregate the technological drivers of trade-finance digitalization into three empirically distinct constructs and to demonstrate that their influence on sustainability is fully mediated by the technology-based LC supply chain, providing structural- model evidence of this mechanism from Bangladesh’s banking sector. The study offers critical insights for banks, businesses, and policymakers seeking to modernize LC operations for enhanced efficiency, security, and eco- efficiency.
Марат Ібатуллін, O. Vasylenko, Iryna Zakryzhevska, Віталій Карпенко
The article examines current trends in the adaptation of international food trade to the requirements of the European Union and global food safety standards under conditions of increasing competition, digitalization of trade processes, and transformation of global agri-food markets. It has been determined that Ukraine’s integration into the European economic area is accompanied by the need to harmonize national legislation with EU sanitary, phytosanitary, and technical regulations, improve food quality control systems, and strengthen the institutional framework of international trade. It is substantiated that compliance with international food safety standards is becoming a key prerequisite for enhancing the competitiveness of agri-food products in foreign markets and expanding Ukraine’s export potential. The impact of non-tariff barriers, certification procedures, and product traceability requirements on the functioning of international food trade is analyzed. It is established that the modern model of international agri-food trade is shaped by stricter requirements for environmental responsibility of producers, digital traceability of supply chains, implementation of ESG-oriented approaches, and the development of electronic certification systems. Particular attention is paid to the role of digitalization of trade procedures, electronic document management, blockchain technologies, and digital platforms in ensuring transparency of international supply chains, reducing administrative costs for enterprises, and accelerating customs clearance procedures for export operations. It has been proved that the adaptation of international food trade to global food safety standards requires comprehensive modernization of the state regulatory system, development of laboratory and certification infrastructure, improvement of customs and logistics procedures, and expansion of digital integration among agri-food market participants. It has been determined that important directions for increasing the efficiency of international trade include harmonization of the regulatory framework with international requirements, implementation of risk-based control mechanisms, support for exports of value-added products, and development of digital food traceability systems. It is substantiated that the implementation of the proposed measures will contribute to increasing the competitiveness of Ukrainian agri-food products, strengthening food security, expanding access to international markets, and forming a modern model of international food trade in accordance with EU requirements and global food safety standards.
Background Scientific output on digital transformation in healthcare and pharmaceutical supply chains increased substantially after 2020, indicating growing research attention to resilient and digitally integrated logistics systems. However, the literature remains fragmented across technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, predictive analytics, cold chain monitoring and healthcare logistics optimization. Methods This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications related to digital transformation and emerging technologies in healthcare and pharmaceutical supply chains. Data were retrieved from Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science databases following PRISMA 2020 screening principles. After duplicate removal and eligibility assessment, 83 peer-reviewed English-language journal articles published between 2015 and 2026 were included in the final analysis. Bibliometric mapping and thematic analysis were performed using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny. Results Within the analyzed corpus, the results showed a substantial increase in scientific publications after 2020, consistent with growing research attention to resilient and digitally integrated healthcare supply chains. Blockchain showed the highest visibility in keyword and citation-based analyses, particularly in relation to traceability, transparency and anti-counterfeit systems. Additional major research areas included artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, IoT-based cold chain monitoring and healthcare logistics optimization. Thematic analysis identified strong literature-based associations between digital technologies, supply chain resilience and pharmaceutical traceability systems. Conclusions Digital technologies are increasingly represented in research on healthcare and pharmaceutical supply chain transformation. The findings suggest that blockchain, AI and IoT technologies may support transparency, traceability and operational resilience. However, implementation barriers related to interoperability, infrastructure costs, data privacy and regulatory complexity remain significant challenges. These findings should be interpreted as bibliometric and thematic patterns within the analyzed English-language journal literature rather than direct evidence of technology implementation effectiveness.
The fast-developing Industry 4.0 has brought about shifts into our food and nutrition systems with automation, data analytics and digital connectivity. This systematic review investigates how IoT, AI, robotics and blockchain interact with each other on the relation between food systems and safety, traceability and personalized nutrition. In accordance with the PRISMA framework, 68 studies (2013–2025) were synthesized across food production, processing and nutrition settings. Results indicate that Industry 4.0 technologies increase transparency, save 20-40% wastage, and make precision nutrition possible through predictive analytics but some obstacles exist such as cost, infrastructure and regulation. This review presents a cross-sectorial view of digital transformation in food and nutrition systems and identifies research priorities in the path towards human-AI collaboration, sustainable innovation in Industry 5.0.
Food Supply Chain Traceability
Smart Agriculture and AI
Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
The security, integrity, and trustworthiness of heterogeneous data have become a burning issue in the rapidly changing smart agriculture environment. This chapter discusses how machine learning (ML) and blockchain technologies can be integrated to ensure the security of agriculture-based applications in the Internet of Multimedia Things (IoMT). It explains how multimodal agricultural data, including sensor measurements, satellite pictures, videos taken by drones, and farmer feedback, can be smartly analyzed with the help of ML and deep learning algorithms and safely stored and shared with the help of blockchain systems. The chapter brings to the fore ML-based methods in detecting anomalies, predicting yields, detecting diseases, and decision support and blockchain capabilities of decentralization, immutability, smart contracts, and traceability. The proposals of the architectural models of ML-blockchain-based agricultural systems are introduced with a focus on secure data exchange, access management, and trust management. Practical use cases such as supply chain monitoring, precision farming, and sustainable resource management are also discussed in the chapter and end with the main challenges, limitations, and future research directions.