Logistics Systems at the Crossroads of Industry 4.0: Technological Challenges and Strategic Opportunities
A special issue of Systems (ISSN 2079-8954). This special issue belongs to the section "Supply Chain Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 20
Special Issue Editor
Interests: purchasing logistics; digitalization; Industry 4.0
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The rapid emergence of Industry 4.0 technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, cyber-physical systems, big data analytics, and blockchain, is reshaping logistics systems. These technological disruptions are not only driving efficiency and transparency across supply chains, but are also redefining the strategic role of logistics in creating resilient, adaptive, and sustainable value networks. At the same time, organizations face critical challenges: integrating heterogeneous digital solutions, ensuring data security, balancing automation with human expertise, and adapting existing infrastructures to new operational paradigms. This Special Issue invites contributions that explore both the disruptive and transformative potential of Industry 4.0 in logistics. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, smart warehousing and distribution systems, real-time supply chain visibility, autonomous transport solutions, digital twins, predictive and prescriptive analytics, and sustainability-oriented innovations. We particularly welcome interdisciplinary perspectives that bridge technology, management, and policy, highlighting how logistics systems can leverage Industry 4.0 to gain strategic advantages while addressing societal and environmental concerns. By gathering state-of-the-art research, this Special Issue seeks to contribute to our understanding of the challenges currently being faced in logistics.
This Special Issue, “Logistics Systems at the Crossroads of Industry 4.0: Technological Disruptions and Strategic Opportunities”, aligns closely with the scope of Systems, which emphasizes holistic, interdisciplinary approaches to the design, analysis, and improvement of complex systems. Logistics, by its very nature, represents a highly interconnected system involving material flows, information exchanges, decision-making processes, and technological infrastructures. The integration of Industry 4.0 technologies introduces new layers of complexity into these systems, requiring systems thinking to address interoperability, resilience, sustainability, and human–technology interaction. By focusing on logistics within the Industry 4.0 paradigm, this Special Issue directly contributes to answering questions around how systems-oriented approaches can manage disruption, enhance adaptability, and create strategic opportunities.
Dr. Ágota Bányai
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- Industry 4.0
- logistics systems
- supply chain management
- cyber-physical systems
- Internet of Things (IOT)
- artificial intelligence in logistics
- digital twins
- autonomous transportation
- big data analytics
- sustainable logistics
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