Understanding the application of digital technologies in aquaculture supply chains through a systematic literature review

Abstract

The study conducts a systematic literature review of the application of digital technologies in aquaculture supply chains (ASC) to identify key research clusters, examine collaborative efforts in the field, and highlight emerging knowledge themes. The methodology comprises a database search in Scopus and Web of Science over a 5-year period (2019–2023) following the PRISMA framework. Bibliometric analysis using Biblioshiny reveals that “Climate Change,” “Aquaculture”, “Sustainability”, and “Food Security” were dominant keywords in this field. Notably, the Sustainability cluster exhibits the highest Callon Centrality (2.819) and Callon Density (63.378), underscoring significant research focus on integrating digital technologies to enhance sustainability in ASC. Hungary emerges as the country with the strongest international research collaboration. However, we identified weak collaboration between African nations and the global research community. Five primary research themes were identified; these include the role of digital technologies in ASC optimization, the disruption of fisheries supply chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the mitigating role of digital innovations, the contribution of digital technologies to reducing food waste and advancing the circular economy, the impact of climate change on fishes, and the challenges and opportunities in applying digital solutions within ASC. Despite persistent challenges—such as limited transmission bandwidth, network delays, and issues with low-power, long-range communication—significant opportunities exist to overcome these barriers through technological advances and stronger global research collaboration. Such progress is vital to transforming ASC into a more sustainable and competitive system. The study provides actionable insights for stakeholders while laying a foundation for future research and governance in this evolving field.