Blockchain-driven co-opetition in circular and resilient supply chains: A long-term evaluation perspective using trust mechanism

The increasing adoption of blockchain technology (BT) in supply chain management has led to the emergence of co-opetition strategies among competing firms, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of consortium blockchain-based platforms (BBPs). We develop an evolutionary game theoretical model with two competing manufacturers and customers to analyze long-term interactions and firms’ adherence to co-opetition strategies, incorporating the dual impact of BT on supply chain circularity and resilience. By considering the effects of BBP traceability and transparency on enhancing customer trust, operational efficiency of take-back systems, and mitigating disruption costs, the conditions necessary for fully realizing the long-term operational, economic, and environmental benefits of BBPs are investigated. Additionally, we introduce a trust mechanism to evaluate both performance and relationship management in long-term interactions. Our model analysis reveals key conditions under which competitive firms are more inclined to engage in co-opetition: (i) in the presence of severe disruptions or strong control over disruptive events enabled by BBP efficiency enhancements, (ii) when BBP efficiency improvements lead to a more optimized take-back system, (iii) when customers highly value the traceability and transparency provided by BBPs, and (iv) under high trust coefficients or significant punitive costs within the trust mechanism. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the trust mechanism can drive the supply chain toward greater circularity, particularly when customers are sensitive to transparency and traceability features. A numerical example illustrates these insights, and the study provides managerial implications that lay the groundwork for the practical implementation of blockchain-driven co-opetition strategies in competitive supply chains.