Intellectual capital meets Industry 4.0: transforming logistics through bibliometric insights

This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to explore the evolving relationship between intellectual capital and Industry 4.0 within the logistics sector. The research identifies trends, key contributors, and thematic developments in this interdisciplinary field using data from two leading scientific databases, Web of Science and Scopus. The primary objective is to understand the critical areas of intellectual capital—human, structural, and relational—and their application in Logistics 4.0, driven by technological innovations such as cyber-physical systems and digital transformation. The methodology employs established bibliometric techniques, including co-occurrence and thematic mapping, to evaluate research questions addressing publication trends, country contributions, source relevance, and author influence. Data from 2001–2024 for Web of Science and Scopus datasets reveal key insights: consistent publication growth, leading contributions by countries like China and the USA, and the emergence of themes such as sustainability, innovation, and digital transformation. Comparative analysis highlights differences in keyword trends and collaborative networks between databases, with Scopus displaying a notable time lag in topic evolution. Findings emphasise the pivotal role of intellectual capital in driving logistics innovation, underscoring its integration with Industry 4.0 technologies. Limitations include potential database biases and a data lag for 2024. This study is a foundational reference for scholars and practitioners who leverage intellectual capital for competitive advantage in the digitised logistics era.