Advancing Sustainable Logistics: The Role of B2B Sharing Economy Platforms in Smart and Resource-Efficient Supply Chains

In response to the evolving dynamics of global supply chains, business-to-business (B2B) sharing economy models within the logistics industry have gained importance for innovation and sustainability over the last few years. According to a literature review, the sharing economy has become a pivotal innovation in the business environment, especially for resource utilisation efficiency and the potential to advance sustainable development policies. Despite the known positive impact on the economy and environment, integrating sharing economy models into logistics and supply chains remains limited. This highlights a key research area that requires a thorough examination of the barriers and opportunities for business-to-business (B2B) sharing economy platforms in logistics and supply chains that reflect environmental policy goals and promote cleaner, more efficient logistics systems. This paper outlines the significance of B2B sharing economy platforms as a crucial part of smart and resource-efficient supply chains. Using a system theory approach, B2B sharing economy platforms in logistics and SC were identified and systematically and comprehensively analysed across four critical aspects: sharing storage, sharing parking space, shared labour, and collaborative transportation. The scope of the research is limited to the smart and sustainable dimensions of logistics and supply chains, with a particular focus on the analysis of B2B sharing economy platforms. The novelty of this study lies in its empirical and theory-informed analysis of B2B sharing platforms as a key driver for smart and resource-efficient logistics. While prior studies have largely focused on consumer-facing sharing models or conceptual frameworks, this paper systematically evaluates operational B2B platforms. The analysis reveals that while B2B platforms offer valuable solutions in collaborative transport, storage, labour, and parking, they are underutilised and insufficiently aligned with environmental and digital objectives. The study introduces a spider chart analysis grounded in system theory to evaluate platforms against six dimensions, uncovering trade-offs between flexibility and sustainability. These insights contribute to understanding the strategic positioning of such platforms and propose a direction for smarter, resource-efficient supply chains.