Mapping the Future of Digital-Green Logistics: Scientometric Insights and TRIZ-Based Innovation Pathways

The accelerating digitalisation and sustainability trends have reorganised global logistics into a two-way innovation ecosystem. However, the study of the intersection of digital and green logistics remains fragmented and lacks a comprehensive cartography or a prescriptive model. In line with this, this study integrates the scientometric approach with the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) to systematically examine intellectual progress, thematic structures, and innovative contradictions defining the digital-green logistics realm. The empirical base consisted of a corpus of 508 publications, selected from the Web of Science and Scopus databases between 1998 and 2026. ScientoPy and VOSviewer were used to create bibliometric indicators to diagram research productivity, collaboration, and new knowledge clusters, while TRIZ principles were used to address contradictions between efficiency and sustainability, transparency and privacy, and local adaptability and global collaboration. Results show that academic activity has significantly increased since 2020, with China, the United States, and the United Kingdom leading the way. The thematic breakdown outlined key research directions, including AI-based optimization, blockchain-based traceability, and digital twin implementations, and, at the same time, identified relevant gaps in empirical support and geographical coverage. The TRIZ-informed framework application identified a set of innovation opportunities, including data infrastructure powered by renewable energy, modular sustainability reporting systems, and stratified blockchain infrastructures aimed at achieving a balance in traceability. The study presents a new methodological synthesis that adds value to theoretical discussion and managerial practice and supports the development of fair policies of digital-green transformation.