Maritime transport is essential to the management of the global chain. Ports are the primary industry and commercial infrastructure for a nation’s economic and social development. The port industry is influenced by the socioeconomic changes in a country such as globalization, institutional, technological, and environment as well as the maritime transport development. Seaports are large intermodal terminals with many stakeholders and provide crucial service and facility to maritime players. Technology transformation in sectors has recently become a hot concern among industry stakeholders, particularly in the maritime sector. This review paper delves into the key challenges faced by seaports in embracing the industrial revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0), with a focus on infrastructure and connectivity, skill gap and workforce readiness, data integration and interoperability, cybersecurity and data privacy, cost and return on investment, regulatory and legal framework, stakeholder collaboration and integration, and acceptance and cultural change, as well as environmental sustainability. This study aims to offer an insightful look at the limitations and difficult aspects of implementing IR 4.0 in the ports system.