Navigating the Digital Horizon in the Maritime Industry: A Case Study of Vietnam

The maritime industry is a pivotal component of the global supply chain, responsible for over 80 percent of global trade in goods. While digitalization has significantly impacted maritime logistics throughout history, its progress in this sector has often lagged behind due to entrenched legacy systems, regulatory constraints, and the challenge of integrating digital solutions across extensive global operations. In this chapter, we explore the history of maritime logistics through technological revolutions, emphasizing the milestones in technology applications. We focus on the current state of digitalization in three main industry components, i.e., port, shipping, and hinterland connection, particularly with the emergence of Maritime 4.0, which highlights core technologies from Industry 4.0 applied in the maritime sector. Artificial intelligence, IoT, and big data are identified as the main pillars of Industry 4.0 that have received significant attention in maritime research. Other pillars such as robotics, virtual reality, cloud computing, blockchain, edge computing, and 3D printing are still in their early stages but are gaining increasing attention from academics and businesses. The primary applications of Industry 4.0 in maritime, including unmanned shipping, e-navigation, automation, and energy solutions, will be detailed in this chapter. The discussion will project the future development of maritime digitalization, considering the emergence of the Industrial 5.0 concept and its potential impact on transforming maritime logistics. Highlighting Vietnam as a developing country with a well-established maritime system and growing international trade, the chapter will derive and discuss generalized lessons from the country's digital transformation.