Role of digitalization of logistics outsourcing in sustainable development of automotive industry in China

Relevance. Digital technologies can bring regional logistics outsourcing in the automotive industry to a new level of performance. However, the digitalization of logistics outsourcing and its role in improving the sustainability of the automotive industry are poorly understood. Research objective. To develop the conceptual framework of the digital ecosystem of regional logistics outsourcing in the automotive industry. The object of the study is the automotive industry in China. Data and methods. Prospects for the digitalization of regional logistics outsourcing of the automotive industry and its impact on the sustainability of the industry are considered in terms of the economics of transaction costs and a resource-based approach. The data sources involved the national policy documents reflecting the strategic directions of digital development of China, statistical data provided by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, as well as research papers presented in the Scopus database. Results. The authors analyzed the trends of digital transformations in the geographic clusters of production of the automotive industry in China. The digitalization of regional logistics outsourcing was determined to influence the sustainability of the automotive industry development in the context of its economic, social, environmental and technological components. The logistics ecosystem model developed by Capgemini was supplemented by the conceptual framework of the digital logistics outsourcing ecosystem for the Chinese automotive industry. The key components of this framework were determined. Conclusions. It can be concluded that digitalization of regional logistics outsourcing will contribute to increasing the sustainability of the automotive industry. However, this requires the formation of a digital landscape of logistics outsourcing, which involves changes in the entire supply chain management system. The results of the study can be used to improve the efficiency of supply chain management in the automotive industry.