Resilience in maritime logistics: Theoretical framework, research methodology, and indicator system

Abstract

Maritime logistics, essential for global trade, faces increasing vulnerability due to operational complexity and disruptions such as extreme weather, geopolitical conflicts, and pandemics. Although maritime logistics resilience (MLR) has garnered growing attention, the field still lacks a unified theoretical framework and standardized evaluation indicator system, exposing a significant research gap. This study seeks to fill this gap by conducting a systematic review of 163 papers from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, covering the period from 2009 to August 2023. The study defines maritime logistics resilience, identifies its four key attributes—robustness, vulnerability, redundancy, and rapidity—and explores their interrelationships, establishing a theoretical framework. Based on this foundation, an innovative evaluation indicator system is proposed for the first time, designed to assess resilience across the three main clusters of the maritime logistics system: ports, shipping networks, and the maritime supply chain. The proposed framework and indicator system provide a novel, comprehensive approach to evaluating MLR, offering both theoretical contributions and practical tools for industry practitioners. This research fills a critical gap in the field and lays the groundwork for future empirical studies and policy development.