Sustainability in the Age of Intelligent Technologies and Systems
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Products and Services".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2027 | Viewed by 58
Editors
Interests: operations management; digital disruption; sustainability; climate policy; smart cities; corporate social responsibility; and emerging technologies driving strategic; environmental; and societal transformation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The rapid convergence of artificial intelligence, data‑driven systems, cyber‑physical technologies, and sustainable development has created an urgent need for a dedicated scholarly venue that captures this interdisciplinary momentum. Researchers across environmental science, engineering, operations, governance, and digital innovation are increasingly demonstrating how intelligent technologies can accelerate sustainability transitions, improve resource efficiency, and support evidence‑based policy and planning.
This Special Issue would welcome contributions that examine intelligent and sustainable systems; green and energy‑efficient computing; AI‑ and data‑driven sustainability solutions; smart and sustainable environments; circular and regenerative digital technologies; ethical and responsible intelligent systems; and cyber‑physical technologies for sustainable development and governance. These themes reflect both the current trajectory of global research and the strategic priorities of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The timing is ideal. Governments, industries, and communities are actively seeking technological pathways to address climate change, biodiversity loss, supply‑chain resilience, and sustainable urbanization. At the same time, the rapid expansion of AI and automation raises critical questions about energy use, equity, governance, and long‑term societal impacts. A dedicated Special Issue will position Sustainability at the forefront of this emerging domain, attract high‑quality interdisciplinary submissions, and provide a coherent home for scholarship that bridges technological innovation with measurable sustainability outcomes.
I am confident that this special issue will significantly strengthen the journal’s leadership in shaping the future of sustainable development research.
Key focus areas/suggested themes
- Intelligent and Sustainable Systems—integrated AI/IoT/automation for sustainable operations and infrastructure
- Green and Energy‑Efficient Computing—low‑carbon AI, efficient algorithms, sustainable digital architectures
- AI and Data‑Driven Sustainability Solutions—analytics, prediction, optimization for climate, energy, mobility, and resources
- Smart and Sustainable Environments—smart cities, smart agriculture, smart energy, environmental sensing
- Circular and Regenerative Digital Technologies—AI/IoT for circular economy, waste reduction, material recovery
- Ethical, Responsible, and Trustworthy Intelligent Technologies—governance, transparency, risk mitigation
- Cyber‑Physical Systems for Sustainability—robotics, digital twins, autonomous systems supporting sustainable development
The rapid convergence of AI, data‑driven systems, and cyber‑physical technologies is transforming how we address climate change, resource efficiency, and sustainable development. This Special Issue aims to advance scholarship at the intersection of intelligent technologies and sustainability, fully aligned with the journal’s mission to support evidence‑based pathways toward the UN SDGs. We welcome contributions on intelligent and sustainable systems, green and energy‑efficient computing, AI‑driven sustainability solutions, smart environments, circular digital technologies, ethical AI, and cyber–physical systems for sustainable development.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:
- Empirical studies demonstrating real‑world applications of AI, IoT, or cyber‑physical systems for sustainability outcomes.
- Methodological or algorithmic innovations that advance green computing, low‑carbon AI, or resource‑efficient digital architectures.
- Case studies and field implementations of smart cities, smart agriculture, environmental sensing, or circular‑economy technologies.
- Comparative or evaluative analyses assessing the performance, impacts, or trade‑offs of intelligent sustainability solutions.
- Theoretical or conceptual frameworks that deepen understanding of responsible, ethical, and trustworthy intelligent systems.
- Systematic or scoping reviews synthesizing emerging trends in intelligent and sustainable technologies.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Anshuman Khare
Prof. Dr. Iain R. Reid
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-anonymized 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
- intelligent and sustainable systems
- green and energy efficient computing
- AI driven sustainability solutions
- smart and sustainable environments
- circular and regenerative digital technologies
- ethical and responsible intelligent systems
- cyber physical technologies for sustainability
- data driven climate and resource optimization
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