Digital transformation of logistics centres: bibliometric analysis

Abstract

With the rise of the digital economy, a new sort of logistics, known as e-logistics, has emerged as a “must-have” in the worldwide logistics business. That is why this topic becomes so relevant among scholars and the industrial field. The idea of the research is based on the analysis of the literature on transformation of logistics centres. The goal of this study is to quantitative assessment of the current literature on the topic of digital logistics centres by identifying the most relevant areas and a gap in the literature. The research methodology is based on bibliometric analysis using the articles in the Scopus database. Generally, 127 scientific papers from 2019–2023 were analyzed through VOSviewer. Research results show that after the Covid-19 pandemic a large number of technological digital solutions emerged and the pandemic served as a spur to the active use of digital technology by various organizations. The most productive countries were the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Germany and Italy. The study evaluated the following parameters: top publishing countries, most cited authors, widely studied fields, research clusters, etc. The results of the study showed that the most studied areas are digital transformation, Industry 4.0 and supply chain management, while the digital transformation of logistics centers and the application of practical tools have not yet been fully explored. The findings and propositions of the study can contribute to the digital development of local logistics centers and expand the literature in this area.