Monitoring global risks in the supply chain and how it can strengthen resilience

When describing 2025 and the impact of global risks on the supply chain, the word often used is “unpredictable.” Geopolitical instability, environmental challenges, economic disruptions and the threat of cyber attacks, all amount to constant evaluating and reacting to events and risks as they unfold. For businesses, risk management has never been more important.

A complex landscape for logistics

“My work is constantly being on the lookout for what is happening and constantly researching using various resources. Everything that can have any impact directly or indirectly on a supply chain is something I need to keep an eye out for, so it’s every topic,” Mriganka Roy, Specialist in Supply Chain Resilience and Global Business Resilience at Maersk, says.

Every topic, every day is a lot of information to monitor. Roy’s job is to distil the constant flow of information into meaningful risk insights for customers. Remaining focused and objective as to how the events impact the customer supply chain is therefore crucial.

“The amount of information that you find about an event like the L.A. wildfires, versus the amount of information that you can gather for the civil unrest in Mozambique, or the Democratic Republic of Congo is not relative to the impact on the supply chain. The LA wildfires were all over the internet and although it involved a lot of loss, its impact on the actual supply chain was minimal. The political unrest in Mozambique is not as widely reported but is causing huge congestions at the port. I focus on three specific questions: What has happened? What will it affect? What does it mean for business or supply chains?” Roy explains.

Geopolitical and cyber security risks impacting supply chains

According to a survey of over 500 global logistics decision makers for The Logistics Trend Map, geopolitical disruptions are the biggest challenge companies face this year.

“Many countries are currently experiencing political turmoil or transitions—ongoing conflicts like those between Russia and Ukraine and political shifts in Bangladesh and South Korea are key examples of shifting situations. From where I stand, developments like these bring significant uncertainty to global trade, labour dynamics, and regulatory landscapes overall”, Roy says.

Cyber security is another pressing topic in the industry, which Mikael Balslev Rasmussen, Global Head of Security and Business Resilience at Maersk believes we will see “exponentially more of”, in the near future. This is something reiterated in The Logistics Trend Map, as 33% of global logistics decision makers believe cyber attacks to be a challenge this year. Two thirds of them rate cyber security as highly relevant, making it the sixth top trend of 2025.

“Supply chains are increasingly exposed to strategic risks from cyber-enabled disruptions. These threats can undermine operational continuity, erode customer trust, and have ripple effects across global trade networks. As digital integration and automation accelerates, the resilience of logistics infrastructure should be a priority,” Rasmussen says.

Verizon's 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report shows the number of global cyber incidents involving software vulnerabilities increased by 34% in the last year. The rapid advancement of technology means that tools like AI are now also used to create misinformation and carry out more sophisticated and efficient cyber-attacks.

“Modern economies are deeply dependent on complex, and often digitally driven just-in-time supply chains and critical infrastructure spanning energy, transport, digital networks, and healthcare. Countries and local communities rely on these systems not only for economic growth, but for societal stability and national security.

“Disruptions whether from natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, misinformation or cyber attacks can quickly cascade across sectors and borders. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent geopolitical conflicts have exposed these vulnerabilities, prompting a shift from efficiency to resilience. Governments are now reassessing strategic dependencies, securing critical infrastructure, and strengthening public-private partnerships to ensure continuity.” Rasmussen says.

How to monitor and respond to supply chain disruptions

The speed of giving companies insights on global events and disruptions to their supply chains, is a race against the time it appears on the internet.

“Not all disruptions make headlines—especially if they don’t attract public attention or clicks,” Roy explains. “That’s why it’s critical for companies to have access to timely, relevant risk insights that go beyond what’s trending online. What matters most isn’t just knowing something happened, but understanding how it could affect your supply chain—before it becomes a problem.”

He adds, “With these timely insights, users have the space to assess the risk and take action, whether that means adjusting routes, preparing alternative plans, or simply gaining confidence in their decisions. It’s about transforming uncertainty into informed choices.”

Nicola Clare Martin leads crisis management efforts across Maersk and reiterates how a structured and rapid response can contain crisis impacts and enable successful recovery. "Time is critical, so a clear crisis management framework for rapidly identifying actions and executing response plans is key. Empowering an experienced, lean team with a mandate to work outside business-as-usual ensures fast, structured actions to minimise impact," she says.

Strategies for building resilient supply chains

Data highlights that when it comes to responding effectively to global risks, collaboration across supply chain partners is the most crucial element.

In one McKinsey survey of more than 100 large organisations in multiple sectors, companies that regularly collaborated with suppliers demonstrated higher growth, lower operating costs, and greater profitability than their industry peers.

“To build true supply chain resilience, executives, boards, and operational teams must prioritise prediction, visibility, agility, and governance. This starts with mapping critical dependencies, understanding risk exposures, and investing in real-time data analysis capabilities. Cross-functional collaboration is key, aligning procurement, operations, IT, and risk functions around shared resilience objectives which benefit our people, our customers and the communities we serve. Scenario planning, business continuity and crisis management must move from static documents to dynamic, tested and prioritised playbooks, mandatory for all leaders to own and implement,” Mikael Balslev Rasmussen, Global Head of Security and Business Resilience at Maersk says.

Embedding resilience into strategy can enable companies to “predict, prevent, respond, and recover proactively”, as Rasmussen puts it. Having a proactive partner who can help build resilience in your supply chain minimises the impact of adversity, while helping maintain service delivery, reliability, and long-term value in an increasingly uncertain and interconnected world.

Be ready to stabilise your supply chain to go all the way! Discover more with Maersk Logistics Insights, and learn more about Maersk’s Supply Chain Resilience Model or for more logistics trends and insights, read and download The Logistics Trend Map.