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Logistics Research
Special Volume – Special Issue
Logistics 5.0: Integrating Technology, Sustainability, and People
Motivation and background of the special issue
Contemporary logistics is navigating a complex landscape shaped by technological advancements, sustainability imperatives, economic pressures, and evolving customer expectations. Customers demand faster delivery times and higher service quality, necessitating flexible and responsive logistics solutions, pushing logistics providers to innovate and improve their distribution processes while maintain still comparative low costs. The expansion of global trade networks adds complexity to supply chains, requiring logistics operators to manage more intricate and dispersed networks, while events like the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical crises and environmental threats have highlighted vulnerabilities in supply chains, prompting logistics companies to enhance their resilience and adaptability. Addressing these challenges requires a strategic focus on innovation, adaptability, and continuous improvement in logistics operations considering the trends like the following:
- Digitization, advanced technologies and AI: Logistics operators must adapt to the rapid digitalization of the industry, which is reshaping logistics services and driving the emergence of new business models such as Logistics as a Service (LaaS), digital marketplaces, micro-fulfillment, and autonomous logistics (Agatic et al., 2020; Gruchmann & Bischoff, 2021). The Fourth Industrial Revolution emphasized the integration of advanced technologies, including cyber-physical systems and robotics, to manage complex logistics processes and incorporate new machinery (Sun et al., 2022). In contrast, the Fifth Industrial Revolution shifts the focus toward a human-centric approach to technology, ensuring that advancements enhance both efficiency and worker well-being (Schwemmer et al., 2023).
- Sustainability and Circularity: New challenges towards supply chains emerge from the growing need for sustainability in all its stages, purchasing (i.e. green procurement, secondary materials use), manufacturing (closed-loops), and distribution (reverse logistics). T The solutions include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, optimizing resource use, and developing eco-friendly logistics solutions and transport technologies (Wanganoo &Tripathi, 2023; Papert et al., 2024)
This special issue targets to collect contributions to advance research on Logistics 5.0, which is an emerging trend integrating technological solutions for logistics with managerial concepts within human-centric framework. While Logistics 4.0 focused on the digitization and automation of logistics processes, Logistics 5.0 extends these principles by incorporating human-centric and sustainable practices, ensuring a more balanced and resilient logistics system (Modica et al., 2023;), focusing on the holistic view of the intelligent logistics space and strictly target-oriented action (Coello-Machado et al., 2024; Delfmann et al., 2018).
The aspects of research on Logistics 5.0 that we would like address include cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and advanced decision support systems to create a more efficient and responsive logistics framework (i.e. Oguz et al., 2024; Nicoletti, & Appolloni, 2024; Wu et al., 2024) that is human-oriented offering continuous training and development programs that are essential to equip the workforce with the necessary skills to handle new technologies and ensuring that logistics operations are aligned with sustainability goals (Nicoletti, & Appolloni, 2024) at strategic and operational level (Staniuk et al., 2024). Emphasizing sustainability and human-centric approaches in logistics operations can enhance overall efficiency and align with broader societal goals (Caliskan et al., 2024) and ensure resilience of logistics systems and supply chains.
Purpose and scope of the special issue
The shift towards Industry 5.0/Logistics 5.0 triggers the application of developing, analysing, comparing and discussing new solutions and methods for innovative logistic systems. This special issue follows the goal of Logistics Research journal presenting latest advances in logistics theory, methods and innovative logistics practices and integrating disciplines such as technology, management, ecology, and informatics, to cover all the aspect of Logistics 5.0 concept. It focuses on technologies and infrastructure, such as AI, IoT, and digital twins, which can optimize various logistics functions but also introduce new layers of complexity; sustainable logistics practices, which add further dimensions to the planning process including considerations for green warehousing, green transport, and human resources; human-focused and human-oriented approach supporting work-life balance, reducing psychophysical stresses and enhancing processes of learning. Such combination of technology, sustainability, and human-orientation results in approach called Logistics 5.0.
Papers exploring Logistics 5.0 concept and generating new knowledge are the highest interest, together with empirical and experimental works that address examples of Logistics 5.0 implementation and its impact on organizations/supply chain performance. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following areas of Logistics 5.0:
- Green Logistics;
- Cyber-Physical-Social Systems in logistics;
- Advanced Technologies in Logistics;
- Parallel Logistics Framework;
- Human-Oriented Operating Systems;
- Smart Logistics Systems;
- Strategic Implementation Models for Logistics 5.0;
- Government and Policy Support to facilitate the adoption of Logistics 5.0 technologies and practices;
- Sustainability and Resilience of logistics systems.
Contact Information
Papers will be subject to a strict review process according to the journal requirements, under the supervision of the Guest Editors:
- DSc. PhD. Eng. Agnieszka Stachowiak
Faculty of Engineering Management
Chair of Marketing and Economic Engineering
Poznan University of Technology
J. Rychlewskiego 2 60-965 Poznan, Poland
E-mail: [email protected] - Prof. DSc. PhD. Gerhard-Wilhelm Weber
Faculty of Engineering Management
Chair of Marketing and Economic Engineering
Poznan University of Technology
J. Rychlewskiego 2 60-965 Poznan, Poland
E-mail: [email protected] - PhD. Eng. Karolina Werner-Lewandowska
Faculty of Engineering Management
Chair of Marketing and Economic Engineering
Poznan University of Technology
J. Rychlewskiego 2 60-965 Poznan, Poland
E-mail: [email protected] - DSc. PhD. Eng. Łukasz Hadaś
Faculty of Engineering Management
Chair of Marketing and Economic Engineering
Poznan University of Technology
J. Rychlewskiego 2 60-965 Poznan, Poland
E-mail: [email protected]
Important Dates
- Opening date for manuscript submission: 30 June, 2025
- Closing date for manuscript submission: 31 December, 2025
Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts:
References
Agatić, A., Jugović, T. P., Tijan, E., & Jugović, A. (2020, September). Digital business models in the logistics services. In 2020 43rd International Convention on Information, Communication and Electronic Technology (MIPRO) (pp. 1416-1421). IEEE.
Caliskan, A., Eryilmaz, S., & Ozturkoglu, Y. (2025). Investigating the effects of barriers and challenges on Logistics 4.0 in the era of evolving digital technology. Journal of Modelling in Management, 20(3), 949-973.
Coello Machado, N.I., Trojahn, S., Glistau, E. (2024). Logistics 4.0 in the Manufacturing Company: Potentials, Solutions and Current Examples from Logistics and Production. In: Tamás, P., Bányai, T., Telek, P., Cservenák, Á. (eds) Advances in Digital Logistics, Logistics and Sustainability . CECOL 2024. Lecture Notes in Logistics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70977-7_11
Delfmann, W., Ten Hompel, M., Kersten, W., Stölzle, W., Schmidt, T (2018). Logistics as a science – central research questions in the era of the fourth industrial revolution: Invited paper based on the position paper of the scientific advisory board of bundesvereinigung logistik (BVL), Logistics Research, 1865-0368, 11, 9 Bremen,1-13
Gruchmann T., Bischoff O. (2021). Blockchain-driven handling of digital freight information: A tensions perspective, Logistics Research, 14 (1), art. no. 3,
Modica, T., Colicchia, C., Tappia, E., & Melacini, M. (2021). Empowering freight transportation through Logistics 4.0: a maturity model for value creation. Production Planning & Control, 34(12), 1149–1164. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2021.1988176
Nicoletti, B., & Appolloni, A. (2024). Green Logistics 5.0: a review of sustainability-oriented innovation with foundation models in logistics. European Journal of Innovation Management, 27(9), 542-561.
Oğuz, S., Alkan, G., Yılmaz, B., & Kocabaş, C. (2024). The Use of Blockchain Technology in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM): A Systematic Review. IEEE Access.
Papert M., Reich D., Fischer I., Goertler T. (2024). Where Do We Go from Here? A Bibliometric Analysis Identifying Implications for Future Research in Circular Economy and Supply Chain Management, Logistics Research, 17 (1), art. no. 3
Staniuk, W., Staniuk, M., Chamier-Gliszczynski, N., Królikowski, T. (2024). Logistics planning process - as an element of Logistics 4.0, Procedia Computer Science, 246, 2284-2291
Sun, X., Yu, H., Solvang, W. D., Wang, Y., & Wang, K. (2022). The application of Industry 4.0 technologies in sustainable logistics: a systematic literature review (2012–2020) to explore future research opportunities. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 1-32.
Schwemmer J., Günsel C., Kühn M., Schmidt T. (2023). Workforce Rostering for Decentrally Controlled Production Systems: A Simulation-based Optimization Framework using a Genetic Algorithm, Logistics Research, 16 (1), art. no. 8, Cited 1 times.
Wanganoo, L., & Tripathi, R. (2023). Reverse Logistics: Rebuilding Smart and Sustainable Transformation Based on Industry 4.0. In Fostering Sustainable Development in the Age of Technologies (pp. 129-143). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Wu, H., Liu, J., & Liang, B. (2024). AI-driven supply chain transformation in Industry 5.0: Enhancing resilience and sustainability. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 1-43.
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