Integration Mechanisms and Performance in Port–Hinterland Supply Chains: A Systematic Review

Port–hinterland links are a major driver of performance in maritime supply chains, affecting landed cost, service reliability and environmental outcomes. Yet research on ports and inland freight remains fragmented across transport geography, logistics, operations research and governance studies. This review consolidates evidence on how physical, operational, governance and digital integration levers shape supply chain outcomes at the port–hinterland interface. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-informed protocol was applied to Web of Science Core Collection records retrieved with a title-level port–hinterland query, last updated on 23 November 2025. The qualitative synthesis covers 90 peer-reviewed studies published from 2008 to 2026. Four eligible records (IN22, IN30, IN54 and IN83) could not be retrieved as full texts and are excluded from the qualitative synthesis; their metadata are retained only in the 94-record bibliometric keyword layer. The review traces the evolution from spatial and administrative views of hinterlands toward functional, network-based and actor-centred perspectives, and synthesises seven streams: delimitation and port choice, corridor competition, dry ports and extended gates, coordination and governance, multimodal operations, digitalisation, and sustainability and resilience. It proposes a four-layer conceptual framework linking infrastructure, services, governance and information integration to cost, reliability, capacity, emissions and resilience. The evidence base remains dominated by model-based studies that offer limited causal identification, supporting a focused agenda for more empirically grounded port–hinterland supply chain research.