Circular economy implementation in maritime industrial processes: a systematic review of barriers, digital enablers, and transition frameworks

Abstract

The maritime industry is under increasing pressure to replace linear, resource-intensive production and disposal models with circular systems that reduce waste, retain material value, and support decarbonization across vessel lifecycles. However, knowledge of circular economy implementation remains fragmented across shipbuilding, vessel operations, ports, and ship recycling. This study synthesizes the existing literature and develops an integrated framework for maritime circularity transition. A systematic literature review and theory-building thematic synthesis were conducted using 53 studies published between 2020 and 2026. The selected studies were analyzed to identify recurring barriers, digital enablers, organizational capabilities, and transition mechanisms associated with circular economy implementation in the maritime sector. Three main findings emerged. First, key barriers include limited design for disassembly, incomplete material inventories, fragmented lifecycle data, inconsistent regulation, weak reverse-logistics systems, and misaligned economic incentives. Second, digital enablers—including lifecycle databases, digital twins, blockchain-enabled traceability, Internet of Things systems, artificial intelligence, and digital product passports—can improve material transparency, predictive maintenance, component recovery, and end-of-life value retention. Third, the principal transition mechanisms involve material and lifecycle baselining, digital infrastructure development, circular design, operational circularity, stakeholder alignment, and ecosystem integration. Based on these findings, the study proposes the Maritime Circularity Maturity Model (MCMM) to assess organizational readiness and the Integrated Circular Transition Framework (ICTF) to guide implementation. The transition toward maritime circularity requires the coordinated development of circular capabilities, digital infrastructure, lifecycle data governance, regulatory alignment, and cross-sector collaboration. The proposed models provide a structured basis for assessing maturity, prioritizing interventions, and supporting the implementation of circular economy principles across the maritime value chain.