Analyzing Forklift and Drone Applications in Sustainable Logistics: A Bibliometric Review

Nowadays organizations are under increasing pressure to adopt sustainable solutions for material handling and management due to growing environmental awareness. This drive has spurred advancements in innovative technologies, optimizing logistic processes to reduce energy usage and emissions, and enhancing overall supply chain sustainability. This approach extends to internal material handling with forklifts and the emerging use of drones for last-mile operations. Despite the importance of sustainable logistic practices, the literature lacks a comprehensive review of research on forklifts and drones in logistic activities. Through a Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA), this paper addresses this gap by conducting a comparative analysis of two bibliometric reviews: one on forklifts' sustainable logistic applications and the other on drones'. This analysis aims to identify key contributors, countries, journals, and research themes in both areas. The SLNA results seek to highlight existing literature, productive countries, influential authors, and research themes. This paper provides theoretical contributions by identifying gaps in the current literature and highlighting key research themes related to sustainable logistic practices. Furthermore, it offers practical insights to industry stakeholders on integrating these practices using forklifts and drones, while also laying the groundwork for future research through a comparative analysis.