Emerging Sensing Technologies for Sustainable Smart Systems and Digitalization in Industries

Dear Colleagues,

The bulging world population and increase in urbanization are set to grow by more than 10% in the next two decades, thus resulting in 70% of the population residing in cities by 2050. Therefore, countries around the world are aiming at equipping their cities to deal with the influx of people and the stress it will bring to current city systems such as industries, automation, homes, transportation, and waste reduction techniques for a sustainable smart world. This development of current city systems needs to be carried out keeping in view the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, such as green and renewable energy, sustainable smart cities, industries/factories and communities, innovation and infrastructure, climate change, reduced environmental emissions, circular economy, and minimum waste generation. Hence, sustainable smart systems and Industry 4.0 have emerged as a major initiative to provide sustainable and smart industrial production.  In addition, tremendous efforts have been put by different countries around the globe into minimizing environmental emissions, enhancing clean energy and renewable sources, using sustainable and smart manufacturing techniques, and developing circular economy practises to achieve the common goal of net zero carbon emissions and sustainable smart systems. The advancements in technology and infrastructure for 5G and beyond/6G, along with IoT/Web3.0 concepts, additive manufacturing, industry digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI), and sophisticated security measures, are catalysing smart factory development and digitalization in industries, which can be deployed for developing smart industries.

This Special Issue explores the different domains of SUSTAINABLE SMART SYSTEMS and DIGITALIZATION in INDUSTRIES through the deployment of different emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), digitalization, cloud computing, autonomous systems, big data analytics, augmented reality, virtual reality, digital twinning, cyber security, simulation, additive manufacturing, etc. for a sustainable future.

In this Special Issue, original research articles, short communications, and reviews are welcome from(but are not limited to) the following research areas:

1. Integration of IoT and AI for sustainable smart systems;
2. Sustainable smart manufacturing for efficient industrial production;
3. Deployment of IoT and AI for E-Waste management systems in smart industries;
4. Smart energy management through the Internet of Everything - smart grid (IoE-SG) for sustainable industries;
5. Big data analysis in real-time monitoring of connected autonomous systems and cyber-physical smart systems for industries;
6. Cyber security in smart networks for sustainable systems and Industry 4.0;
7. Design and implementation of smart automation systems for smart factories;
8. The convergence of IoT and renewable sources in reducing environmental emissions in the context of smart factories;
9. IoT-based smart systems security vulnerabilities and mitigation;
10. Development of intelligent manufacturing platforms using additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence for sustainable smart factories;
11. Development of digital twins as an essential tool for sustainable smart factories;
12. Deployment of circular economy practises for utilization of sustainable materials (polymers, composites, and metals) in smart factories.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Geetika Aggarwal
Dr. Jinoop Arackal Narayanan
Prof. Dr. David J. Hughes
Guest Editors

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• smart manufacturing
• additive manufacturing
• industrial automation
• smart factories
• Internet of Things (IoT)/ Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
• internet of everything -smart grid (IoE-SG)
• digital twins
• 5G/6G and beyond
• artificial intelligence and big data
• cyber-physical systems
• cyber security
• augmented reality/virtual reality