Smart Container Market Size, Share and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Components (Hardware and Software), By Technology (Cellular, Bluetooth, and LoRaWAN), By Industries (Chemicals, Pharmaceutical, Energy, Oil & Gas, Food & Beverages, Automotive, and Electronics), and Regional Forecast, 2025-2032

Smart containers are intelligent devices known as cargo trackers designed to provide real-time data on the container’s locations, temperature, humidity level, environment, and other conditions.   They are equipped with IoT sensors and GPS trackers that collect information about the container’s location and provide real-time tracking and monitoring, enabling operators to increase the turn time of their containers and improve equipment availability.

Smart containers allow cargo owners to get accurate status and location of their cargo to control their supply chains efficiently. The data collected by smart containers are then transmitted to a central server in real time. Businesses or cargo owners can access this asset data via a web-based interface, which allows them to track their shipments and ensure that everything is on schedule. 

In a nutshell, smart container tracking technology has proven to be a boon for businesses that need to monitor & keep track of their shipments. It provides real-time data, accurate location, and peace of mind, making it an essential part of any supply chain operation.

Rapid digitization and automation are gaining major traction in the maritime industry.  The shipping industry is digitizing container fleets, enabling carriers to monitor better & control navigational supply chain information flows, improving their cargo visibility offering. Hence, OEMs are integrating smart containers with IoT systems and collaborating with industry stakeholders to enable data sharing, particularly between supply chain partners and carrier alliances.

For instance, in January 2023, Sateliot, the first satellite constellation offering 5G standard connectivity from space, in partnership with Sensefinity, one of the leading IoT providers for asset tracking and an end-to-end solution, launched global 5G-IoT satellite connectivity to facilitate the first technology of data transmission from 1,000 smart containers that will save medium shipping companies up to USD 1.4 million per year on container repairs and maintenance.

Investing in smart containers and global continuous connectivity transmission through 5G-NB IoT satellites will provide vessels and shipping companies’ better control of transported goods, avoiding damage claims and lawsuits costing companies billions of dollars annually. The partnership will also help reduce food waste and carbon emissions.

Smart container tracking has the potential to revolutionize the shipping industry, making it more efficient and safe. The data collected by smart containers can be used for various purposes, including optimizing shipping routes and schedules, reducing theft and loss, efficient fleet management, improving safety and security, identifying potential hazards, and predicting maintenance needs.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Smart Container Market

The government-enforced lockdowns and economic crisis induced due to the Covid-19 pandemic severely impacted the global supply chain. The Covid-19 pandemic, Russia Ukraine war, and climate disasters causing massive disruptions and highlighting challenges to the shipping industry. The global supply chains have increasingly come under scrutiny in recent periods; the pandemic resulted in delayed containers, which significantly contributed to global supply chain problems.

 As per the World Shipping Council, 3,113 containers were lost in 2020-2021, and over 3,113 containers were lost at sea compared to 779 in the period 2017-2019, a significant increase of 299.62%.

Lost containers are not the only major challenge of cargo transportation; spoilage of goods owing to unpredictable weather posed numerous challenges leading to millions of dollars in losses.

Hence to handle this level of disruption, there’s an urgent need to do business in new ways by increasing agility and visibility across the end-to-end supply chain.

Real-time visibility and remote control are major drivers for today’s accelerated digitalization in reefer container operations and the broader cold chain to manage supply chain delays and disruptions impacting cross-border food flows and other perishables.

The global Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the importance of smart container logistics to keep vital supplies of food and medicines, including vaccines, flowing across the globe, even during the lockdown.

As operators & cargo owners seek to improve cargo visibility amid disrupted supply chains and port congestion the quantity of smart containers in the global fleet is anticipated to increase in the coming years.

Key Insights

The report will cover the following key insights:

• Key Industry Developments – Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships.


• Porter’s Five Forces Analysis.


• Technological Developments.


• Impact of COVID-19 on the Smart Container Market.

Segmentation

By Components	By technology	By Industries	By Geography
Hardware	Cellular Bluetooth	Chemicals Pharmaceutical	North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)
Software	LoRaWAN	Energy, Oil & Gas Food & Beverages Automotive Electronics	Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Rest of Europe) Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Rest of Asia Pacific) Rest of the World (Latin America, Middle East & Africa)

Analysis by Component

The hardware segment is anticipated to register a higher CAGR over the forecast period. The hardware components consist of temperature & control sensors, connectivity devices, telematics, telemetry devices, and motion detection sensors. For smart containers, sensors and IoT devices are crucial components to ensure the proper functioning of hardware components.

Real-time cargo monitoring with IoT, GPS tracking, and sensors makes supply chains more transparent, agile, reliable, resilient, secure, connected, and sustainable. Depending on the type of sensors used, different parameters can be monitored throughout the whole transport process from source to destination, such as humidity, temperature, shock, light and door closing, and openings, among others.

Real-time monitoring data can be fed into AI and machine learning technology-powered analytics programs. Data analytics helps streamline operations by analyzing supply chain and logistics performance. Supply chain managers can anticipate supply chain disruptions with the help of reliable real-time data before they occur and adjust routing accordingly. 

As the number of hardware components in a container is large, in addition to the high cost of these devices, the hardware segment is anticipated to hold the largest market share.

Analysis by Technology

LoRaWAN is anticipated to hold a significant share of the smart container market owing to its affordability and long-range capability. LoRaWAN technology is a relatively new wireless communication network protocol that is more suitable for the needs of a supply chain than traditional cellular networks as it requires fewer data; hence it is less expensive to send and receive.

LoRa is used in the supply chain to track and detect product shipments, which are tracked as Nodes or Tags, and each Tag is connected to a satellite. These Tags send data about the shipment's status in real-time, on a mobile platform

Analysis by Industries

The food & beverage sector is anticipated to hold a high CAGR over the smart container market, owing to its higher export. Transporting food and beverage products presents an increased level of complexity and requires a rigorous logistical approach that must be effectively managed.

Containers are vital for transporting temperature-sensitive goods, like food & beverages and pharmacy, as they protect against adverse temperature and humidity. Smart Containers, therefore, are being increasingly adopted to transport food & beverages to ensure transportation cleanliness, prevent food contamination, and make sure certain products arrive on time and as specified.

Regional Analysis

Asia Pacific is anticipated to grasp the largest share in the smart container market owing to rapid adoption of technologies such as blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), AI, Machine Learning (ML), and big data. Moreover, the presence of the largest container manufacturers in China such as China International Marine Container Group Co., Ltd. (CIMC), Dong Fang International Containers, and Singamas Container, among others. Furthermore, growing e-commerce businesses in India, China, and South Korea will support market growth in the region. For instance, as per India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) report, the Indian e-commerce market is anticipated to reach USD 350 billion by 2030. All these factors will bode well for regional market growth.

Key Players Covered

A Maersk Company (Denmark), Traxens (France), Shenzhen CIMC Technologies Co., Ltd. (China), Berlinger & Co. AG (Switzerland), CMA CGM Group (France), Globe Tracker (U.S.),  ZillionSource Technologies (U.S.), Philips Connect (U.S.), ORBCOMM Inc. (U.S.), SecureSystem GmbH (Germany).

Key Industry Developments

• February 2022: CMA CGM launched the SMART reefer container, a connected container for refrigerated goods. The SMART reefer container helps track refrigerated goods' position and status and ensures they travel in optimal conditions. The smart containers are equipped with state-of-the-art Emerson technology that allows for real-time monitoring of the container's status and conditions and receiving key data such as temperature, location, and gas variations. It also provides notifications if anomalies are detected so the owner can take corrective measures.


• April 2020: Traxens, introduced high-value data and services for the supply chain industry, to help global partners cope with the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The smart container solutions provide real-time visibility into global shipments, and key data insights about when, where and why disruptions or delays occur. With accurate insights, customers can take quick decisions and cooperate with partners to minimize costs, delays and backlogs.