Could blockchain tracing help textile managers achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals?

Sammanfattning: This paper examines how blockchain tracing can be implemented in the textile industry through an exploratory and inductive qualitative multi-methodological approach. First, it provides an extensive background relevant to the field of blockchain tracing implementation in textile retailers. Then, the literature review provides an overview of the academic findings on the subject. Thereafter, a more in-depth understanding of blockchain tracing implementation is provided through six semi-structured interviews with two groups, blockchain experts and managers. The findings in this study through qualitative analysis indicate that there are several benefits with the implementation of a blockchain tracing system such as immutable distributed ledger, security and decentralisation that could aid in creating a more transparent and traceable supply chain. Adoption of a blockchain-based traceability system is one of the possible solutions to address transparency issues and ensure seamless information sharing among supply chain partners in order to work towards UN sustainable development goals. Further this paper identified several potential implementation challenges that need consideration, presented as a theoretical model, the Blockchain Tracing Implementation Model (BTIM). Keywords: Blockchain, Fashion, Supply chain, Sustainability, Distributed ledger technology, Blockchain tracing, Traceability, Transparency, Management, Digitalization.