This paper explores the designing principlesto create resilient Supply Chains (SC's) with the ability toreturn, rapidly, to the initial stage or to an improved oneafter a disturbance occurrence. SC disturbances and failuremodes are identified and discussed. The concept of SCresilience is defined and explored; a conceptual SCResilience Index and a SC Resilience Indicator areproposed. A framework for the design of resilient SC's isintroduced, identifying main SC characteristic that can bemodified to increase SC resilience and to mitigate itsvulnerability.

This research is funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Project PTDC/EME-GIN/68400/2006).