Towards Hyperconnected Zero-Emission Logistics: A Systematic Review of Enabling Technologies within the HOLOGISTICS Project

Background The freight transport system today is undergoing a fundamental transformation driven by decarbonisation, digitalisation, and the imperative of seamless interoperability between different modes, converging on the vision of a hyperconnected, Physical-Internet (PI)-aligned logistics ecosystem. The Horizon Europe HOLOGISTICS project is developing twelve such innovations, spanning modular physical systems, digital-intelligence layers, federated data ecosystems and zero-emission transport. This systematic review synthesises the state of the art underpinning these innovations to identify enabling technologies, cross-cutting gaps and future research priorities. Methods This review draws on the reference base compiled for HOLOGISTICS desktop research stage, comprising 171 records retrieved through targeted Scopus and Web of Science searches and curated technical/regulatory sources. Records were grouped into four themes: modular and automated physical systems; digital-intelligence and cyber-physical optimisation; interoperable data ecosystems and governance; and zero-emission, energy-optimised operations. Findings were synthesised narratively within each theme; no quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis) or formal risk-of-bias assessment was conducted. Results Across the four themes, the literature shows rapid but uneven progress. Smart containers, automated loading platforms and digital twins are increasingly validated individually, but rarely interoperate across assets, modes or organisations. Federated-data-space concepts (DTLF, EMDS, IDSA) and a substantial body of international standards are technically well developed, yet governance, semantic and trust barriers persist. Electrification, hydrogen propulsion and multi-agent charging optimisation demonstrably reduce emissions, but are seldom coordinated with routing or energy-grid constraints. Conclusions Hyperconnected, zero-emission logistics depends on the co-evolution of physical, digital, data-governance and energy layers rather than progress in any one layer alone. HOLOGISTICS’s twelve real-world pilots directly target these cross-cutting gaps, offering a practical pathway from fragmented innovation toward system-level, PI-aligned transformation across the TEN-T network.