A Bibliometric Mapping of Innovation in Automotive Supply Chains: Digitalization, Resilience, and Sustainability in the Era of Electrification (2020–2025)

Abstract

This study provides a bibliometric analysis of the literature on innovation in automotive supply chains during the period 2020-2025. While research on digitalization, organizational resilience, and sustainability has expanded, these streams remain largely siloed, with few studies examining their interactions in the specific context of electrification; this gap motivates an integrated mapping of the field. Data were retrieved exclusively from the Scopus database (search conducted on January 30, 2026) using an advanced query applied to the (title, abstract, keywords) fields. After applying filters related to publication period, subject areas, document type "article" excluding (proceedings, chapters, literature reviews, editorials and letters) and English-language restriction, the final dataset comprised 258 articles. The analysis combines performance indicators (annual publication trends, leading sources, authors, and citations) with network mapping techniques (country co-authorship and keyword co-occurrence), performed using VOSviewer and complemented by the Bibliometrix package (R) to explore the temporal evolution of keywords.

The findings reveal a significant acceleration in scientific production, rising from 15 publications in 2020 to 72 in 2024, with a strong concentration (53.5%) of publications in 2024-2025. Research output is structured around several dominant contributors, particularly China (92 publications), India, and the United States, while Europe stands out for its dense transnational collaboration networks. The thematic mapping highlights three major clusters: (i) digitalization and emerging technologies, (ii) resilience and organizational reconfiguration, and (iii) sustainability and decarbonization. These clusters increasingly converge around electrification (EVs/NEVs) and the battery value chain, which emerge as key cross-cutting themes shaping the future of automotive supply chains. Beyond description, the study suggests that innovation appears to be approached less as an end in itself than as a steering instrument embedded in supply chain management, providing both researchers and industry stakeholders with a framework for reading the sector’s transformation pathways.

JEL Classification: O33, M11, L62, Q56

Paper type: Theoretical Research.