Smart Port: An Upshot of the Maritime Sector's Digital Transformation

With the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, organizational survival has become more and more in danger. Digital transformation (DT) is undoubtedly influencing the strategic parts of any company or state. Therefore, it remains important to integrate it into several processes and procedures to achieve better outcomes in all aspects. Since no industry has escaped from DT impacts, the maritime sector sprung its digital journey. As a result of this adventure, the concept of "Smart port" arises to address the majority of the issues that the maritime sector faces, such as increasing pressure from global trade demands and the emergence of digital transformation. Smart ports, with their advanced technologies and data-driven operations, can alleviate this pressure. In this sense, our work provides a prospective review of the theoretical and empirical works dealing with smart ports. It underlines the main drivers, barriers, and best practices related to smart ports. It can thus serve as a guide for companies and ports willing to start their digital journey.