sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Industry 4.0 Technologies for Sustainable Manufacturing and Supply Chain Operations: 2nd Edition

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: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 17

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Interests: occupational health and safety; ergonomics; social sustainability; energy and environmental management; sustainable manufacturing; Industry 4.0
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Interests: sustainability assessment of new technologies; green energy technologies; industrial sustainability; energy management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Interests: sustainability; energy management; performance measurement; Industry 4.0
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The interest of companies in the sustainability performance of their operations and products, as well as of their suppliers and customers, has grown strongly in recent years. At the same time, the concept of Industry 4.0 has matured, and its enabling technologies are widely used, allowing companies and supply chains to be smarter, more efficient, and more productive. In this context, one of the most interesting challenges for researchers and managers is the definition of ways to direct technological innovation towards the improvement of sustainability performance from economic, environmental, and social points of view.

The objective of this Special Issue is to promote research concerning the linkage between Industry 4.0 technologies and the sustainability of manufacturing and supply chain operations. Original papers are invited on the following topics (including but not limited to):

  • Impacts of Industry 4.0-enabling technologies on sustainability;
  • Sustainability impacts of new technologies at an early technology readiness level;
  • Life cycle sustainability approaches of technological improvements in products and processes;
  • Contribution of technologies to sustainable development goals;
  • The role of Industry 4.0 technologies on the definition and measurement of sustainability performance indicators;
  • Sustainability assessment, management, and performance of smart production and smart logistics;
  • Sustainability performance benchmarking.

The papers should adopt one or more of the following methodological, conceptual, and empirical approaches:

  • Development of new metrics and/or methods;
  • Consolidation or validation of existing metrics and/or methods;
  • Analysis of case studies;
  • Proposal of best practices;
  • Analysis and development of supporting tools;
  • Systematic literature reviews.

Other topics and approaches relevant to this Special Issue, but not included in the list above, will also be considered.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Filippo Marciano
Dr. Giuseppe Tomasoni
Dr. Paola Cocca
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

  • Industry 4.0
  • I4.0 technologies
  • sustainability
  • sustainability performance
  • smart manufacturing
  • smart supply chain
  • sustainable manufacturing
  • sustainable supply chain

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Related Special Issue

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop