Overview and Future Trends of Intelligent Technology Applications of Smart Ports in China

Ports play a crucial role in sustaining human society. In recent years, the rapid development of China's ports, along with the swift growth in container throughput, has brought significant pressure on port management. As a result, smart ports have garnered widespread attention from scholars and practitioners. This study evaluates the current state of smart port research using scientometric methods, analyzing literature from the Web of Science Core Collection. The focus is on balancing technology, environmental sustainability, and economic development. Key findings reveal that current research trends emphasize integrating advanced technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Twin (DT), enhancing energy efficiency, and driving digital transformation in port operations. The study identifies three main research directions: the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), environmental sustainability, and safety in multimodal transport systems. It also highlights the evolution of research themes from 2001-2015focusing on Infrastructure upgrading. 2016-2020 focuses on big data and pollution. 2021-2024 with an emphasis on smart ports and sustainability. The research direction of smart ports trends to evolve and gradually adapt to the needs of global technological innovation, multimodal logistics, management and sustainable development. The paper provides insights into key thematic categories, influential authors and journals, and emerging trends, offering valuable guidance for new researchers in the smart port field.