THE TERRITORIALIZATION OF LOGISTICS IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

A Study from the Metropolitan Area of Córdoba, Argentina

Abstract

The article analyses logistics in the digital economy as a central mediating factor through which contemporary transformations in production, distribution and consumption processes are manifested at a local level. The growth of e-commerce, the expansion of digital platforms and the integration of logistics, financial and technological services are part of a global restructuring of production that has intensified the scale and pervasiveness of goods flows, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.From a territorial perspective, logistics links physical infrastructure, digital systems and land use to coordinate material, financial and data flows, generating concrete effects on urban and metropolitan organisation. These dynamics reconfigure spatial hierarchies, consolidate strategic corridors and produce new functional centres, whilst intensifying pressures on urban and peri-urban land.This study focuses on the Córdoba Metropolitan Area (AMC), Argentina, an intermediate metropolis situated within national transport corridors and linked to global flows, with a historically industrial productive base. Using a qualitative approach—comprising interviews, field observations and documentary analysis—the study identifies different profiles of actors involved in the territorialisation of logistics: logistics operators, repurposed industrial firms, property developers and technology-finance platforms.The results show that logistics acts as a key driver of territorial reorganisation in intermediate metropolitan areas, posing significant challenges for planning and spatial planning in the digital economy.