Design of Sustainable Intertwined Supply Networks

Supply chain networks are struggling with many challenges today due to the inability of current strategies to incorporate the necessary collaboration and integration among them. Moreover, societies and the environment demand a shift towards more sustainable solutions. Therefore, to better handle the challenges of today’s uncertain market and sustainability considerations, focusing more on integrating supply networks with a holistic view is necessary. Unlike traditional supply chains, the configuration of these networks is highly interconnected, which enables the system to enhance its resilience and to adapt rapidly to changes while addressing alternative sourcing and collaborative problem-solving. This paper utilizes the concept of intertwined supply networks—a novel approach that fosters collaboration among multiple supply chains across various industries—to present a multi-objective linear mathematical model that focuses on optimal location modeling, integrating both economic efficiency and social considerations to ensure sustainability and ethical alignment. Developing an illustrative example and solving the model with a fuzzy interactive programming approach, followed by sensitivity analysis, this paper validates the feasibility and applicability of the model in this field.