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Sustainability
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Emerging IoT and Blockchain Technologies for Sustainability
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Emerging IoT and Blockchain Technologies for Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 21258

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Abdelaziz Bouras

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Computer Science Department, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar
Interests: AI; blockchain; IoT; supply chain; smart products; lifecycle management
Dr. Abdelhak Belhi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies, Doha P.O. Box 24939, Qatar
Interests: AI; machine learning; cybersecurity; IoT; blockchain; sustainable systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite contributions to this Special Issue on the interoperability of emerging Internet of Things (IoT) applications and blockchain technologies for sustainability. Currently, the IoT and blockchain are emerging as transformative solutions with a strong potential to address sustainability challenges. This Special Issue intends to investigate how the integration of these technologies might promote sustainable practices in a variety of domains, including energy, agriculture, transportation, and supply chains. We welcome contributions that present new research, case studies, theoretical frameworks, and practical applications that demonstrate the synergy between the IoT and blockchain in promoting environmental conservation, resource efficiency, and the circular economy.

By bringing together varied perspectives and cutting-edge research, this Special Issue aims to promote knowledge and inspire creative ideas for a more sustainable future. Researchers, practitioners, and industry professionals are encouraged to submit their findings. We welcome both original research articles and reviews on topics of interest that include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Emerging internet of things (IoT);
  • Blockchain technologies;
  • AI;
  • Decentralized applications;
  • Efficient security;
  • Supply chain sustainability;
  • Supply chain optimization;
  • Energy-efficient IoT/computing;
  • Smart transportation;
  • Smart agriculture;
  • Smart energy management;
  • Transparent supply chains;
  • Decentralized governance models;
  • Environmental monitoring;
  • Data security;
  • Standards and regulations;
  • Circular economy.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Abdelaziz Bouras
Dr. Abdelhak Belhi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • IoT
  • blockchain
  • AI
  • decentralized applications
  • efficient security
  • supply chain sustainability
  • energy-efficient IoT/computing
  • smart transportation
  • smart agriculture

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 5923 KiB  
Article
Using AI to Ensure Reliable Supply Chains: Legal Relation Extraction for Sustainable and Transparent Contract Automation
by Bajeela Aejas, Abdelhak Belhi and Abdelaziz Bouras
Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 4215; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094215 - 7 May 2025
Viewed by 196
Abstract
Efficient contract management is essential for ensuring sustainable and reliable supply chains; yet, traditional methods remain manual, error-prone, and inefficient, leading to delays, financial risks, and compliance challenges. AI and blockchain technology offer a transformative alternative, enabling the establishment of automated, transparent, and [...] Read more.
Efficient contract management is essential for ensuring sustainable and reliable supply chains; yet, traditional methods remain manual, error-prone, and inefficient, leading to delays, financial risks, and compliance challenges. AI and blockchain technology offer a transformative alternative, enabling the establishment of automated, transparent, and self-executing smart contracts that enhance efficiency and sustainability. As part of AI-driven smart contract automation, we previously implemented contractual clause extraction using question answering (QA) and named entity recognition (NER). This paper presents the next step in the information extraction process, relation extraction (RE), which aims to identify relationships between key legal entities and convert them into structured business rules for smart contract execution. To address RE in legal contracts, we present a novel hierarchical transformer model that captures sentence- and document-level dependencies. It incorporates global and segment-based attention mechanisms to extract complex legal relationships spanning multiple sentences. Given the scarcity of publicly available contractual datasets, we also introduce the contractual relation extraction (ContRE) dataset, specifically curated to support relation extraction tasks in legal contracts, that we use to evaluate the proposed model. Together, these contributions enable the structured automation of legal rules from unstructured contract text, advancing the development of AI-powered smart contracts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging IoT and Blockchain Technologies for Sustainability)
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25 pages, 9895 KiB  
Article
A Blockchain-Based Digital Product Passport System Providing a Federated Learning Environment for Collaboration Between Recycling Centers and Manufacturers to Enable Recycling Automation
by Min Ji Kim, Cheol Hyeon Han, Kyung Jin Park, Ji Sung Moon and Jumyung Um
Sustainability 2025, 17(6), 2679; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062679 - 18 Mar 2025
Viewed by 644
Abstract
As the global emphasis on sustainable resource management intensifies, the need for efficient recycling automation becomes critical. This paper addresses the integration of blockchain technology and federated learning to enhance the automation and efficiency of recycling processes. The authors propose a novel digital [...] Read more.
As the global emphasis on sustainable resource management intensifies, the need for efficient recycling automation becomes critical. This paper addresses the integration of blockchain technology and federated learning to enhance the automation and efficiency of recycling processes. The authors propose a novel digital product passport system that utilizes blockchain for secure data sharing and federated learning for continuous improvement of recycling automation models. Manufacturers develop baseline models using synthetic data, which are then refined by recycling centers using real-world data. The updated models are aggregated through a federated averaging algorithm. Our experimental results demonstrate that the integrated system not only enhances the accuracy and efficiency of recycling processes but also ensures the privacy and security of data across different stakeholders. The performance of the federated models shows significant improvement over traditional recycling methods. This paper provides a scalable and secure framework that supports the circular economy by enabling enhanced collaboration between manufacturers and recycling centers. The blockchain-based digital product passport system ensures data integrity and transparency, contributing to more sustainable recycling practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging IoT and Blockchain Technologies for Sustainability)
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34 pages, 1689 KiB  
Article
Integrating Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management: A Bibliometric Analysis of Theme Extraction via Text Mining
by Yavuz Selim Balcıoğlu, Ahmet Alkan Çelik and Erkut Altındağ
Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 10032; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162210032 - 18 Nov 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 8934
Abstract
The integration of blockchain technology into supply chain management (SCM) has emerged as a revolutionary force transforming traditional business operations. This study uses bibliometric analysis on 1069 articles from the Scopus database, using text mining and Python to uncover predominant themes and research [...] Read more.
The integration of blockchain technology into supply chain management (SCM) has emerged as a revolutionary force transforming traditional business operations. This study uses bibliometric analysis on 1069 articles from the Scopus database, using text mining and Python to uncover predominant themes and research trends at the intersection of blockchain and SCM. The key findings revealed three main thematic groups: ‘blockchain to improve transparency and traceability in SCM’ (supported by 323 articles), ‘impact of blockchain on supply chain efficiency and cost reduction’ (295 articles), and ‘blockchain-enabled supply chain resilience’ (191 articles). Furthermore, text mining highlighted prominent themes such as ‘decentralized supply chain networks’ (204 articles), ‘smart contracts for automated processes in SCM’ (234 articles), and ‘blockchain for sustainable supply chain practices’ (227 articles). The inclusion of sustainability themes reflects the growing importance of environmentally conscious strategies within supply chains, driven by the capacity of blockchain to reduce waste, and promote resource efficiency. The study identifies critical literature gaps, advocating for further exploration of the socio-economic impacts of blockchain on SCM. The topic extraction suggests new directions for SCM theory, while the role of blockchain in fostering sustainable and ethical supply chains is underscored. Practically, blockchain and IoT emerge as pivotal in the advancement of SCM, with text mining offering industry foresight and emphasizing blockchain-driven resilient strategies. Limitations include reliance on a single database and the recommendation that future studies incorporate diverse sources and qualitative insights. The findings provide a roadmap for academics and practitioners, highlighting potential avenues in SCM, especially in the context of sustainable and ethical practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging IoT and Blockchain Technologies for Sustainability)
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16 pages, 1595 KiB  
Article
Integrating Blockchain Technology in Business Models for Sustainable Innovation
by Yang Chao and Alireza Goli
Sustainability 2024, 16(16), 7217; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167217 - 22 Aug 2024
Viewed by 2480
Abstract
This research paper investigates the role of blockchain technology in sustainable business model innovation by proposing a comprehensive framework. The study addresses the following research questions: How can blockchain technology enhance business model components? What are the specific innovations enabled by blockchain technology? [...] Read more.
This research paper investigates the role of blockchain technology in sustainable business model innovation by proposing a comprehensive framework. The study addresses the following research questions: How can blockchain technology enhance business model components? What are the specific innovations enabled by blockchain technology? To answer these questions, a hybrid approach was employed. Initially, a thorough review of existing literature identified key components of business model innovation. Subsequently, a survey was conducted among technology experts to evaluate the applications of blockchain technology in these components. The analysis revealed five categories of innovation: macro-activities of the value network, micro-activities within the organization, governance, financial aspects, as well as sustainable innovation. Next, a novel conceptual model was developed to assess the impact of digital technologies on business model performance, and then it was evaluated using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Key findings indicate that blockchain technology significantly enhances data transparency, security, and efficiency capabilities, leading to improved innovation and increased sales volume. Practical implications include recommendations for organizations to prioritize investments in platform technologies, insight analysis, and sensor-based data collection to achieve sustainable business model innovation. The study underscores the importance of a holistic approach to integrating blockchain technology across all business model components to maximize its potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging IoT and Blockchain Technologies for Sustainability)
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Review

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35 pages, 1432 KiB  
Review
Blockchain Technology for IoT Security and Trust: A Comprehensive SLR
by Seetah Almarri and Ahmed Aljughaiman
Sustainability 2024, 16(23), 10177; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310177 - 21 Nov 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 8001
Abstract
After the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), the way devices interact with each other changed, as it allowed automation and seamless communication in various fields. However, various challenges related to security and trust have emerged, hindering the widespread adoption of the [...] Read more.
After the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), the way devices interact with each other changed, as it allowed automation and seamless communication in various fields. However, various challenges related to security and trust have emerged, hindering the widespread adoption of the IoT. Blockchain technology is considered the ideal solution to face these challenges because of its immutable and decentralized nature. This paper explores the potential of blockchain technology to address critical security and trust challenges within the rapidly growing IoT ecosystem. Through a systematic literature review, this study examines how blockchain’s decentralized, immutable, and transparent features contribute to enhancing security and trust in IoT networks. Key findings indicate that blockchain integration can prevent data manipulation, ensure robust identity management, and facilitate transparent, verifiable transactions, supporting both security and trust in IoT systems. These attributes not only improve IoT security but also promote sustainable practices by optimizing resource efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and enhancing resilience in systems like supply chain management and smart grids. Additionally, this study identifies open research challenges and suggests future directions for optimizing blockchain in IoT environments, focusing on scalability, energy-efficient consensus mechanisms, and efficient data processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging IoT and Blockchain Technologies for Sustainability)
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