Blockchain technology in maritime single window and port community systems: A bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review

• Blockchain enhances security, efficiency, transparency and trust in maritime sector. • Five research clusters identified including secure data sharing and IoT integration. • Key adoption barriers: scalability, interoperability, standards and legal frameworks. • Publication trend shows growing interest in maritime blockchain applications since 2018. • China, Singapore and their institutions are leading research in this domain. This paper presents systematic literature review with bibliometric analysis that aims at studying and identifying potential uses of blockchain technology in the context of Maritime Single Window and Port Community Systems. The research aims to examine the state of development of the blockchain technology, to determine the trends of the industry and to analyze the prevalent strengths and weaknesses of the industry. Through analyzing 51 peer-reviewed articles from Scopus and Web of Science (between 2013 and 2023), it is possible to state that the rate of scholars’ engaging with the topic has risen significantly since 2018 within the countries in Asia, especially China, Singapore, and other countries. Our mapping outlines five major streams of research: security and sharing of data in ports and port innovation; behavioral analysis of decentralized technologies in smart ports; factors leading to success of blockchains; effects of blockchains on container shipping; and integration of blockchains with IoT and supply chain management. The review highlights how blockchain can improve security, increase the performance of procedures, guarantee signature and credibility, and build trust, which are fundamental for growth in the maritime sectors. However, the study identifies several main implementation challenges, namely, scale-up features, interoperability, open-endedness, institutional implications, and variable management. As a result, we offer suggestions to the practitioners, policymakers, and scholars on how best to go about the adoption and implementation of blockchain in the maritime industry. Further research in the form of implementation studies, case, legal, and probes on how Blockchain interacts with other emerging technologies is recommended in the study. Namely, they establish foundational domains and define further methodology for subsequent studies and advancement related to blockchain enablement of maritime industries.