Logistics 4.0: Analysis of the Impact of Countries' Digitalization and Innovation Levels on Logistics Performance with Machine Learning

The widespread adoption of globalization and e-commerce has increased the strategic importance of logistics processes, leading to the emergence of the concept of Logistics 4.0 through the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies into the logistics sector. This situation necessitates the strengthening of logistics infrastructures by firms and countries to achieve competitive advantage. In this context, fully determining the impact of digitalization and innovation on logistics performance is of critical importance for policy-making and serves as the starting point of this study. In this study, a machine learning method, the random forest technique, is employed to assess the impact of countries' digitalization and innovation levels on logistics performance and to rank the variables influencing the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) based on their significance. According to the study’s findings, research and development (R&D) expenditures, the number of patents, the level of global innovation, high-tech exports, internet usage rate, and e-government development services—considered as indicators of digitalization and innovation—explain a significant portion of the variation in LPI. Among these factors, R&D has been identified as the most critical variable. R&D activities directly influence a country's logistics performance by fostering innovation and technological progress. In this regard, investments in R&D significantly contribute to strengthening logistics infrastructure, improving processes, and enhancing the efficiency of technologies.