Abstract: The ironmaking front-end processes, encompassing the raw material yard, sintering, pelletizing, coking, and blast furnace ironmaking, constitute the most energy-intensive and carbon-emitting segment of steel manufacturing. Consequently, the level of intelligence achieved within these processes directly determines the overall competitiveness and sustainability of the entire production chain. Taking industrial big data empowerment as the central narrative, this paper systematically reviews the nearly fifty-year evolution of digital and intelligent technologies in ironmaking front-end processes. This evolution is delineated into four distinct stages: automation enlightenment, digital transformation, intelligent upgrading, and whole-process collaborative breakthrough. From this historical analysis, three overarching developmental trajectories are distilled: the hierarchical advancement of control architecture, the paradigm shift in modeling approaches, and the progressive evolution of decision-making modes. Building upon this foundation, the paper provides an in-depth examination of the current applications of industrial big data and artificial intelligence technologies across the five core unit operations, elucidating the fusion mechanisms between data-driven methods and mechanistic models under diverse operational scenarios. Through a systematic comparison of domestic and international technological pathways, the paper identifies existing limitations regarding the depth of data-mechanism-scenario integration and the breadth of cross-process coordination. Looking forward, future innovation directions are envisioned from four critical dimensions: industrial big data technologies, research on large foundation models, smart manufacturing technologies, and the synergistic integration of green and low-carbon strategies. This review aims to provide a systematic reference for both theoretical research and engineering practice in the intelligent manufacturing of ironmaking front-end processes, thereby supporting the high-end, intelligent, and green transformation of the steel industry.