A survey on variable neighborhood search for sustainable logistics

Sustainable logistics aims to balance economic efficiency, environmental responsibility, and social well-being in supply chain operations. This study explores the use of Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS), a metaheuristic optimization method, in addressing sustainable logistics challenges and provid...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: De Armas, Jésica, Moreno-Pérez, José A.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10230/70442
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/70442
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/a18010038
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Variable neighborhood search
VNS
Sustainable logistics
Descripción
Sumario:Sustainable logistics aims to balance economic efficiency, environmental responsibility, and social well-being in supply chain operations. This study explores the use of Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS), a metaheuristic optimization method, in addressing sustainable logistics challenges and provides insights into the potential it has to support them by delivering efficient solutions that align with global sustainability goals. The review identifies key trends, including a significant increase in research since 2019, with a strong focus on routing, scheduling, and location problems. Hybrid approaches, combining VNS with other methods, and multiobjective optimization to address trade-offs between sustainability goals are prominent. The most frequently applied VNS versions align closely with those commonly used in the broader literature, reflecting similar adoption proportions. In recent years, a noticeable increase in studies incorporating adaptation mechanisms into VNS frameworks has emerged. This trend is largely driven by the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence approaches across numerous fields of science and engineering, highlighting the need for more dynamic and intelligent optimization techniques. However, important research gaps remain. These include limited consideration of uncertainty and dynamic logistics systems, underrepresentation of social sustainability, and a lack of standardized benchmarks for comparing results. Future work should address these challenges and explore emerging applications.