Digital technologies in logistics services for the agri-food sector: a comparison of Poland and Lithuania

ENAim: The aim of this study is to assess and compare the degree of adoption of smart logistics technologies in companies servicing food supply chains in Poland and Lithuania. Material and Methods: The analysis was based on data obtained through an online survey conducted between October and December 2024 addressed to logistics service providers in the agri-food sector (n = 60 in Poland, n = 44 in Lithuania). A Logistics Technology Adoption Index (LTAI; Cronbach’s α = 0.825) was developed based on seven binary indicators determining the implementation of selected smart logistics technologies. A company was classified as ‘high adopter’ if the index value was ≥ 0.50. Results: The overall level of technology adoption (LTAI) in Poland was significantly higher than in Lithuania (0.431 vs. 0.044; p <.001), indicating a clearly higher level of digitalization among Polish logistics companies. The analysis of the use of specific technologies confirmed that capital-intensive solutions, such as intelligent vehicle systems (χ² = 38.47; p <.0001) and predictive analytics tools (χ² = 29.10; p <.0001), were implemented much more frequently in Poland, and the differences in other areas were also statistically significant.Conclusions: The Polish logistics market in the agri-food sector is characterized by a significantly higher level of digitalization than the Lithuanian market, particularly in terms of solutions requiring greater capital expenditure, such as smart vehicles and predictive analytics tools. Cost motivations clearly outweigh environmental motivations in both countries, and a stronger perception of barriers is associated with a lower propensity for implementation. In Poland, large enterprises achieve a significantly higher adoption level of smart logistics technology than small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which is confirmed by the effect of scale. In the case of Lithuania, due to a small number of companies surveyed, the scale effect was not confirmed. Keywords: smart logistics, food supply chain, digital transformation, adoption barriers, sustainable development, Poland, Lithuania.