Building Sustainable Supply Chain Resilience Through Digitalisation and Circular Practices: Evidence from Emerging Economies

Amid rising climate risks, geopolitical uncertainty, and global supply disruptions, strengthening sustainable supply chain resilience has become a critical policy priority for emerging economies. This study scrutinises how digitalisation and circular-economy practices jointly shape national-level supply chain resilience and sustainability performance. Using a balanced panel of 32 emerging economies from 2010 to 2023, the analysis draws on the Resource-Based View and Dynamic Capability Theory to test a serial mediation framework linking digitalisation, circularity, resilience, and sustainability. Fixed-effects panel regressions, mediation analysis, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) are employed using internationally comparable indicators from the World Bank, OECD, UN SDG Database, and UNIDO. The results show that digitalisation is positively associated with circular-economy adoption and supply chain resilience, while circularity further fortifies resilience. Resilient supply chains, in turn, are strongly associated with improved sustainability performance. The serial mediation results propose that sustainability outcomes emerge through a cumulative capability-building pathway rather than isolated technological effects. The findings highlight the importance of integrated digital and circular policy frameworks for enhancing resilience and advancing sustainable development in emerging economies.