Energy-Efficient UAV-Enabled Systems for Sustainable Port Logistics: A Bibliometric and Systematic Review

Abstract

Ports are critical nodes in global supply chains and increasingly depend on intelligent, energy-efficient, and autonomous technologies to improve operational performance and sustainability. Within this context, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are evolving from isolated aerial platforms into network-enabled systems capable of supporting sensing, communication, computation, and decision-support functions. This study examines the evolution of energy-efficient UAV-enabled systems for sustainable port logistics, with particular emphasis on autonomous system architectures, mobile edge computing, artificial intelligence, optimisation, and Internet of Things integration. Following PRISMA 2020 reporting guidelines, a bibliometric and systematic review was conducted based on a curated dataset of 49 peer-reviewed publications indexed in Scopus between 2001 and 2026. The analysis combines performance indicators with science mapping techniques, including bibliographic coupling and keyword co-occurrence, to identify research trends, influential contributions, and thematic structures. The results reveal a transition from fragmented exploratory studies to a rapidly expanding research field shaped by UAV-assisted edge computing, resource allocation, intelligent optimisation, and energy-aware system design. Four main thematic clusters are identified: UAV-assisted mobile edge computing and network optimisation; advanced optimisation and intelligent UAV systems; energy efficiency and resource allocation; and application-oriented developments and hardware innovations. The findings indicate that energy efficiency is the central design principle connecting UAV autonomy, system integration, and sustainability-oriented port logistics.