Analysis of big data shows that the Internet of Things enhances safety management in ports, indicating potential digital transformation benefits.
Ports serve as key nodes in eco-friendly and digital logistics networks, and the volume of cargo handled continues to increase in response to growing international trade. However, the increased workload within limited spaces heightens the risk of safety accidents, and the number of casualties in port stevedoring operations has continued to rise. As the era of transition toward eco-friendly and digital paradigms unfolds, the adoption of new technologies in ports presents a strategic opportunity to enhance safety management. As of 13 May 2025, the study conducted a text-mining analysis based on research abstracts related to the keyword “New technology and port safety,” in the context of internal and external environmental changes. Specifically, a total of 639 research abstracts were collected, but 138 abstracts, which were unrelated to port safety, were excluded, and 501 abstracts from the Clarivate Web of Science database were analyzed, focusing on 2676 words that appeared at least twice. The study applied Term Frequency (TF) analysis, TF–Inverse Document Frequency analysis, Semantic Network Analysis, and Topic Modeling. The results indicate that Internet of Things emerged as a core solution for strengthening port safety management. However, challenges remain, including the prevention of security breaches, high infrastructure implementation costs, and limitations in battery life.
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Sim et al. (2025) studied this question.