The role of digital technologies (artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and blockchain) in supply chain sustainability: A literature review

Abstract

With global trade and logistics networks becoming increasingly complex, supply chains are facing significant pressure on sustainability and regulatory transparency. Existing literature typically examines a single technology in isolation and focuses solely on the environmental dimension. This article offers a narrative review that jointly analyses artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and blockchain, systematically reporting their contributions to all three pillars of the triple bottom line, drawing on an academic corpus spanning 2001-2025.The analysis shows these technologies operate at distinct levels: the Internet of Things generates information on physical flows, blockchain validates and circulates it among stakeholders, and artificial intelligence enables its decision-making use. Each compensates for a structural weakness in the others, making integrated configurations qualitatively different from the sum of standalone tools. This contribution remains uneven, however: well, established on the environmental and economic dimensions, but indirect and conditional on the social one. On the managerial front, the article recommends aligning digital investments with formalized sustainability goals, treating organizational capabilities as integral to the technology project, and assessing indirect impacts from the design stage. It finally points to a lack of longitudinal studies and an overly technology-centered orientation.

JEL Classification: M11; O33; Q55; Q56

Paper type: Theoretical Research