DLT-BASED SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODELS FOR THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY

Purpose . This paper explores how distributed ledger technology (DLT), aka blockchain, might function as the technological basis for sustainable business models (SBM) in the shipping industry. More specifically, it examines the role that DLT can have in generating circular economies for information resources as well as inter-firm collaboration inside shipping. Design/methodology/approach . We present a conceptual model depicting the relationship between DLT and sustainable shipping, and conduct an exploratory case study about a DLT-based information platform for global supply chains, using content analysis technique. Main findings . Our preliminary assessment finds that DLT, by allowing increased information circularity and associative behaviours between supply-chain actors, undergirds SBM and drives sustainable practices in the shipping industry. Originality/value . The research extends previous literature on DLT technology and its impact on the circular economy, associative business models, and inter-firm coordination in general. It does so under the context of maritime shipping, extending both maritime literature and DLT/blockchain technology research, presenting a case study on a real-life deployment of DLT technology in the context of maritime shipping.