Future of Industry 4.0: Sustainable Blueprints, Industry Chains, and Digitalization
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 March 2026 | Viewed by 182
Special Issue Editors
Interests: environmental econometrics; renewable energy; innovation
Interests: circular economy; sustainable development; digitization and innovation; Industry 4.0
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
When the concept of Industry 4.0 was first introduced at the 2013 Hanover Messe, it was quickly embraced across various industries and manufacturing powerhouses in both the Western and Eastern hemispheres, such as Germany, Sweden, China, and Japan, began developing their industries using technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data to create "Smart Industries." Now, over a decade since the emergence of Industry 4.0, its development has seen the integration of more sustainable concepts in response to the pressing issues of climate change and environmental degradation. This has led us to identify a research gap: what might a future blueprint of a sustainable industry chain look like in the era of Industry 4.0?
Over the past five years, more cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, digitization, and digital twins have driven remarkable development and injected new vitality into Industry 4.0, paving the way for it to continue into a promising and distinctive future. In addition to generating economic profits, there has been a significant increase in attention paid to analyzing value chains, information chains, and ESG performance across various industries. To develop a comprehensive understanding of the sustainable potential of Industry 4.0, this Special Issue aims to share valuable insights that illustrate the significant impact of cutting-edge technologies on sustainable industries. By exploring the evolution of business models and industry chains, as well as examining the crucial role of digitization in sectors such as manufacturing, mining, and electricity, this Special Issue will contribute to a growing body of research on industry chains and sustainable blueprints for the future of Industry 4.0, offering valuable perspectives for both theoretical research and practical application.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome, and research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
Overviews of the future of Industry 4.0 and its industry chains;
The role of digital transformation in promoting sustainable Industry 4.0;
The cutting-edge technologies for sustainable industries and their impact;
Public policies to promote sustainability in Industry 4.0;
Labour markets and social sustainability in the future of Industry 4.0.
Dr. Luca Esposito
Dr. Xihui Chen
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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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
- sustainable development
- sustainable digitization
- cutting-edge technologies
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