AI Adoption in Industry 4.0 and Smart Factories as a Sustainability Enabler
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 5
Special Issue Editors
2. INESC TEC—Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: resource selection; process and quality improvement; virtual and agile enterprises; optimization; sustainability development; AI applications
2. INESC TEC—Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: entropy; modeling; evolutionary computing; nonlinear optimization; meta-heuristics
2. Associate Laboratory for Energy, Transports and Aerospace (LAETA-INEGI), Rua Dr. Roberto Frias 400, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: industrial simulation; manufacturing; Industry 4.0
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. INESC TEC—Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: agile manufacturing; manufacturing engineering; ubiquitous manufacturing; virtual organizations; organizations complexity; meta-organization
2. INESC TEC—Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: production planning; scheduling; meta-heurisitcs; machine learning tools
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within Industry 4.0 and smart factories represents a crucial step toward achieving sustainable industrial development. This Special Issue will explore how AI serves as a key enabler of sustainability by optimizing energy consumption, reducing waste, extending equipment life, and improving resource efficiency across manufacturing processes. The scope includes the integration of AI with other Industry 4.0 technologies—such as IoT, big data analytics, and cyber-physical systems—to create intelligent, adaptive production environments that align with environmental, social, and economic sustainability goals. Real and modelled use cases are also welcome.
The existing literature highlights the transformative impact of AI on operational performance, but sustainability is still emerging as a focal point of academic and industrial research. While prior studies have examined AI’s potential efficiency gains and automation technology, fewer works have systematically addressed its role in enabling sustainable manufacturing practices. Recent research trends emphasize the importance of digital technologies in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially within industrial contexts. This Special Issue will build upon such insights, offering a comprehensive view of AI not just as a tool for productivity, but as a strategic resource for driving green innovation, reducing environmental footprints, and fostering long-term resilience in manufacturing systems.
Prof. Dr. Paulo Ávila
Dr. Alzira Mota
Dr. Luís Pinto Ferreira
Dr. Hélio Castro
Prof. Dr. João Bastos
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- artificial intelligence
- Industry 4.0
- smart factory
- sustainability
- green innovation
- use cases
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