Sustainable Lean Development of Supply Chain and Logistic in Smart Port

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the synergies between sustainable practices, lean principles, and smart technologies in optimizing supply chain and logistics operations within smart ports. It aims to address how digitalization (e.g., IoT, big data, AI) enables lean efficiency (waste reduction, process optimization) while advancing sustainability goals (carbon neutrality, resource efficiency) in port ecosystems. Its scope encompasses the following topics: (1) smart technologies driving lean-sustainable integration (e.g., AI for demand forecasting, blockchain for transparent green logistics); (2) lean methods for reducing environmental footprint (e.g., energy-efficient routing, circular supply chains); (3) frameworks for assessing triple-bottom-line performance (economic, environmental, social) in smart port logistics; and (4) challenges like technology adoption barriers, stakeholder coordination, and regulatory alignment.

Its purpose is to consolidate cutting-edge research, bridging theoretical insights and industry practices to guide policymakers, port managers, and researchers in implementing holistic strategies.

The existing literature often treats lean, sustainability, or smart port technologies in isolation, or focuses on pairwise interactions. This Special Issue fills gaps by exploring their tripartite integration, investigating how smart port innovations simultaneously enable lean efficiency and sustainability. It offers actionable models to harmonize cost reduction, operational agility, and long-term ecological resilience, thus advancing a more integrated discourse in port supply chain management.

Dr. Xiuwen Fu
Prof. Dr. Xiangwei Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.