Blockchain adoption in the port industry: a systematic literature review

The global port industry, known for its historical resistance to technological advancements, now faces a pivotal moment in the age of blockchain innovation. This systematic literature review provides an in-depth investigation into the adoption of blockchain technology within the port industry, aiming to assess the current state of knowledge, identify areas lacking research attention, and emphasize emerging research avenues by analyzing a corpus of 316 articles. Our review employs a robust framework centered around four key themes: barriers to adoption, the port’s role in global value chains, sustainability considerations, and practical implementations of blockchain technology in ports. By analyzing these themes, we can gain valuable insights into the distinctive nature of the port industry and its potential transformation through blockchain technology. Theoretical contributions from this review emphasize adopting a Practice-Based View (PBV) perspective to examine the intricate interplay between barriers and practices in blockchain adoption. Furthermore, our innovative synthesis of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework sheds light on internal and external obstacles shaping the adoption landscape. A noteworthy aspect of this review is the recognition of the critical need to align theoretical frameworks with the unique characteristics of the port industry, emphasizing the importance of contextual relevance in research pursuits. It also highlights the scarcity and fragmentation of research in the domain of the port industry, encouraging future scholars to investigate the identified research gaps and theoretical perspectives. This article reveals that utilizing blockchain technology within ports can enhance the sustainability performance of the port industry.