The Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO), an ongoing research initiative by the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing Industrial Resilience Research Group, is advancing global supply chain management by leveraging diverse datasets, satellite imagery, and advanced analytics to enhance visibility, traceability, and transparency. This talk will focus on the UK-India Critical Minerals Observatory, a key component of the GSCO, demonstrating how it enables supply chain mapping, risk analysis, and environmental impact assessments for industries such as Electric Vehicles (EV) and Solar Photovoltaics (PV). These insights support regulatory compliance, mitigate geopolitical risks, and promote ethical sourcing practices. The session will conclude with a discussion on how my research on supply chain visibility using publicly available data aligns with the GSCO’s objectives, exploring innovative methodologies for tracking supply chain disruptions, assessing vulnerabilities, and enhancing decision-making. By transforming supply chains into intelligent, self-optimizing networks, this research fosters sustainability, resilience, and innovation in the global economy.

Ms NIE Wei is a PhD researcher in the Industrial Resilience Research Group and the lead researcher in Big Data Analytics for the Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO) at the Institute for Manufacturing, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on leveraging the publicly available data to develop the end-to-end supply chain visibility, with a particular emphasis on critical mineral supply chains. Wei has experience as a data scientist and software engineer in the manufacturing sector, including the semiconductor industry. She is interested in data and system modelling & simulation. Wei holds an MPhil in Industrial Systems, Manufacture, and Management from the University of Cambridge and a BEng (Honors) in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the National University of Singapore.

Ms Mariel Alem Fonseca is a PhD researcher in the Industrial Resilience Research Group and lead researcher in Supply Chain Resilience for the Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO) at the Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on the design of sustainable and resilient alternative protein supply chains. She has over 6 years of experience in process design and optimisation, supply chain management and data analytics; and is particularly interested in the relationship between business productivity and sustainability in the food industry. Mariel holds a Master in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge and an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Costa Rica.