Digital Technologies and Manufacturing Transformation for Sustainable Development
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 April 2027 | Viewed by 55
Special Issue Editors
Interests: Industry 4.0; circular economy; digital transformation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Since the inception of Industry 4.0, the academic and industrial communities have intensely debated its multifaceted impacts on global sustainability. While the practical implementation of Industry 4.0 remains an ongoing journey for many manufacturing sectors, the landscape shifted significantly in 2021 when the European Commission introduced the concept of Industry 5.0. Rather than replacing its predecessor, Industry 5.0 serves as a vital evolution, repositioning the industrial paradigm to prioritize human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience.
This Special Issue seeks to explore the convergence of these industrial shifts with the urgent requirements of sustainable development, its implications for society and the demand side of industrial production, and the impact of externalities.
In this context, this Special Issue aims to collect research and review papers submissions addressing (but not limited to) the following themes:
- The Transition from Industry 4.0 to 5.0: Strategies for integrating human-centricity and sustainability into smart factories.
- Industrial Business Model Innovation: How can digital technologies support new and sustainable business models in industrial ecosystems?
- Social Sustainability in Industry: The ethical implications of AI in manufacturing and the evolving role of the human worker.
- Supply Chain 4.0/5.0: Developing dynamic, low-emission distribution channels for global digital marketplaces.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Franco Gonçalves
Prof. Dr. Ana Lucia Figueiredo Facin
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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
- Industry 4.0
- Industry 5.0
- digital technologies
- circular economy
- circular supply chain
- industrial sustainability
- sustainable industrial ecosystem
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