Smart logistics hubs: infrastructure transformation, global trends, and development prospects in Russia

The digital transformation of the transport and logistics industry, the growth of international trade, and the increasing complexity of global supply chains necessitate a transition to the concept of smart logistics hubs (SLH), integrating physical and digital infrastructure into a unified, self-regulating complex. The aim of this review is to analyze the technological and organizational-economic foundations of SLH functioning, to generalize the global experience of their implementation, and to identify opportunities for applying this concept in the Russian transport and logistics system. The source base comprised scientific publications by Russian and foreign authors (2020–2025), analytical reports of international organizations, and data on implemented infrastructure and digital projects in the logistics sector; methods of systemic and comparative analysis, content analysis of scientific and applied sources, and a structural-functional approach were applied. The study systematizes key technological drivers of SLH (artificial intelligence, internet of things, digital twin, robotics, autonomous transport), summarizes the international experience of EU countries, China, and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, and identifies constraints of the Russian transformation (infrastructure wear and tear, high capital intensity, fragmented digital integration, regulatory gaps, socioeconomic risks) along with drivers of its acceleration (e-commerce market growth, state support for international transport corridors, regional investment projects). The scientific novelty of the work consists in the development of an original “challenge–implementation direction” correspondence matrix applied to Russian conditions, in the identification of a dual-track SLH development model (modernization of existing nodes and construction of new high-tech facilities), and in the synthesis of an empirical evidence base from 2024–2026 covering unmanned logistics corridor projects and the national digital transport and logistics platform GosLog. It is concluded that the implementation of the SLH concept in Russia requires an integrated approach combining the modernization of fixed assets of transport infrastructure, standardization of digital platforms, the formation of “smart logistics zones” with an experimental legal regime, and the development of human capital in the field of artificial intelligence.