LOGISTICS COMPANIES IN THE CONTEXT OF INDUSTRY 4.0: THE CASE OF LITHUANIA

ABSTRACT In recent decades, the world has experienced rapid economic growth, driven by the intensive development and implementation of innovative technologies in various areas of production and services. Companies seeking to remain competitive in the market are forced to adapt as quickly as possible to the changes brought about by the fourth industrial revolution. The logistics sector, which is an integral part of any country’s economy and plays one of the leading roles in the physical movement of goods and services, is no exception. Industry 4.0 solutions in the field of transport and logistics mean the implementation of reading, automation, and advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotization, and big analytics, in industrial processes to simplify the logistics process and manage information in real time, ensuring timely data availability and accessibility for process managers in the supply chain. Taking into account the importance of logistics, the article analyses the trends in the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies in the Lithuanian logistics sector. The purpose of the study is to assess how the Lithuanian logistics sector adapts to these changes, what technologies are already being applied, and what challenges it faces. During the study, it was observed that the size of the company has an impact on the implementation of technologies; therefore, the results in this paper will be presented through the logistics company size prism. Methods applied: systematic analysis of scientific literature, statistical data analysis.