Assessing New Trends in Sustainable and Smart Manufacturing

Dear Colleagues,

Operation technology, machinery, manufacturing processes and systems play a very important role in industry. Industry 4.0 is contributing significantly towards the integration of such technologies and systems in smart and sustainable manufacturing, and towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The specification, design, implementation and operation of smart systems have direct impacts on financial, social and environmental sustainability. Moreover, circular and carbon neutral economies require smart production systems which can be assessed and monitored throughout their whole lifecycle and across the entire supply chain. 

Typically, research tends to focus on a number of parameters at a time. Studies generally lack holistic and comprehensive assessments of how proposed systems and processes will impact the environmental and financial pillars throughout their whole lifetime, as well as how they will interact with internal and external social stakeholders such as employees and the general public, respectively. This Special Issue aims to explore the impacts of smart production systems on the three pillars of sustainability. Papers covering one or more of the following areas are sought:

• Techno-economic assessments of smart and sustainable processes/systems.
• Life cycle assessments of smart manufacturing processes/systems.
• Life cycle cost assessments of smart manufacturing processes/systems.
• Social life cycle assessments of smart manufacturing processes/systems.
• Resource assessment of smart manufacturing processes/systems.
• Circular and/or carbon neutral smart manufacturing processes/systems.

Prof. Dr. Benoit Eynard
Dr. Paul Refalo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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