Complexity and Paradox in Smart Port Transformation: Evidence from Sines' Port Case

Abstract

Smart Ports are increasingly required to pursue digitalisation and decarbonisation simultaneously while maintaining operational continuity. Although these transitions have attracted growing academic attention, existing studies generally examine technological innovation or sustainability independently and provide limited theoretical explanations of how organisations manage both transformations concurrently. This study addresses this gap by investigating how organisations navigate digital and green transitions within complex operational environments through the complementary perspectives of Complexity Theory and Paradox Theory. A qualitative single-case study was conducted at the Port of Sines, Portugal, combining a semi-structured interview with the senior manager responsible for innovation and digital transformation with documentary evidence from institutional reports and strategic documents. An abductive research design and thematic analysis were employed to interpret the empirical material. The findings indicate that Complexity Theory explains Smart Port transformation as an adaptive and evolutionary process characterised by emergence, interdependence and continuous organisational learning. Paradox Theory complements this perspective by explaining how managers continuously balance persistent tensions, including efficiency versus sustainability, innovation versus operational continuity, and stability versus organisational change. The empirical evidence suggests that neither theoretical perspective alone fully explains the observed organisational dynamics. Accordingly, the study proposes an Integrated Complexity–Paradox Framework, demonstrating that adaptive system evolution and paradox management jointly enable digitalisation and decarbonisation within Smart Ports. The study contributes to innovation literature by providing a more comprehensive conceptual explanation of sustainability-oriented transformation and offers practical implications for managers responsible for leading complex infrastructure transitions.