Emerging themes and trends in smart supply chain management: a comparative textual analysis

Purpose The increasing complexity, digitalization and vulnerability of modern supply chains highlight the growing importance of developing smart supply chain (SSC) systems. This study conducts a comparative textual analysis of academic publications and global news media to examine how SSC concepts are discussed across research and practice. The goal is to identify dominant themes and reveal underexplored research areas. Design/methodology/approach Deep learning based textual analysis techniques were applied to a dataset of 265 peer-reviewed journal articles and 2,655 news reports published between January 2000 and April 2023. Topic modeling and comparative mapping were used to detect thematic similarities and differences between academic and industrial perspectives on SSC development. Findings The analysis identifies five major thematic clusters: global smart logistics networks, digital healthcare supply chains, sustainable packaging and circular operations, last-mile and express delivery innovations, and intelligent quality and risk management. Academic literature tends to emphasize theoretical models and performance measurement, while industry discussions focus on application, automation and resilience. These differences indicate the need for more integrative and practice-oriented SSC research. Originality/value This study provides a novel comparative perspective on how SSCs are examined in academia and represented in industry. It identifies a key research gap in the limited academic attention to resilience within smart supply chain management, despite its strong emphasis in industry discourse, and offers insights to better connect theoretical development with practical priorities.