Future of Global Supply Chains

Over recent decades, global supply chains have grown in scale, speedspeed, and complexity. They underpin modern commerce and are vital to the UK’s prosperity and security. InRecent Januaryevents, 2024,such as the UKCOVID-19 Governmentpandemic publishedand itsthe CriticalRussia-Ukraine Importswar, andhave Supplyhighlighted Chainsthat Strategy,supply withchains theare aimcomplex ofsystems, helpingwith UK many businessesinterdependencies, buildand secureare andvulnerable resilientto supplysystemic chainsshocks.

What shocks and safeguardingtrends criticalmight imports.global Thissupply strategychains committedface toin workthe withfuture theand Governmenthow Officemight forthey Sciencechange (GO-Science)in onresponse?

The aFuture newof ForesightGlobal Project,Supply alongsideChains relatedin actions,the includingUK buildingis systemsa tocross-government copeForesight withProject futureaiming supplyto chainhelp shocks,decision-makers andacross developingHM Government build resilient supply chains ofand thesafeguard futurecritical forimports, netusing zerothe andlatest emerginganalytical technologies. 

Theand Futurescientific ofevidence Globalto Supplyidentify Chainsvulnerabilities Foresightand projectdevelop willavenues contribute to thelong-term deliveryresilience.

In ofdetail, the CriticalFuture Importsof andGlobal Supply Chains Strategyin by: the UK Foresight Project will:

• ProvidingProvide a robust evidence base on the  

  the critical long-term uncertainties facing global supply chains.

• DevelopingDevelop coherent scenarios that consider plausible outcomes for these uncertainties and how they could interact, designed to help policy makers ‘stress test’ specific supply chains. 

  chains.

• Stress testingtest a diverse set of case study supply chains against the scenarios to help identify vulnerabilities, opportunities, and areas the UK may wish to take action to ensure future resilience. 

  resilience.

• UsingUse analysis and modelling to provide a quantitative approach to representing the scenarios and stress testing, which should provide additional evidence to support decisions. 

  decisions.

A Foresight report bringing together these findings is planned for publication on Gov.ukGOV.UK in 2025.  2025.

For more information, please email foresight@go-science.gov.uk.