Smart Technologies for Sustainable Production
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 35
Special Issue Editor
Interests: sustainability; production engineering; quality engineering; service quality; e-commerce; Industry 4.0 and 5.0
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the face of dynamic climate change, limited natural resources, and increasing pressure for environmental and social responsibility, the industrial sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Traditional production models must give way to modern, flexible, and sustainable technological solutions. In this context, smart technologies are playing an increasingly vital role—not only by enhancing operational efficiency but also by supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, cyber–physical systems, digital twins, the Internet of Things (IoT), and emerging models of human–machine collaboration (e.g., collaborative robots or autonomous mobile robots) are redefining how industrial processes are designed, managed, and optimized. Their contribution to building green, resilient, and intelligent value chains is becoming increasingly evident, both in industrial practice and academic research.
This Special Issue aims at exploring how technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics (including collaborative robots and autonomous mobile robots), IoT, digital twins, and cyber–physical systems can contribute to increased energy efficiency, waste reduction, improved working conditions, and greater flexibility and resilience in production systems.
We welcome original research articles, case studies, and comprehensive reviews on topics including, but not limited to, the following:
- Smart and sustainable technological solutions enhancing environmental, economic, and social performance in industrial settings;
- Innovative applications of robotics and automation aligned with the visions of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0;
- The impact of intelligent technologies on production sustainability, including energy efficiency, waste reduction, and improved worker well-being;
- Patent landscape analyses and reviews of emerging technological trends in sustainable manufacturing;
- Integration of artificial intelligence, big data, IoT, and digital twins with lean and green manufacturing principles;
- Human-centric and collaborative approaches in smart factories, including the use of collaborative robots (cobots) and autonomous mobile systems;
- Data-driven decision-making and predictive maintenance in sustainable production environments;
- Socio-technical challenges and opportunities in adopting smart technologies across different industrial sectors.
We encourage contributions from researchers, engineers, industry professionals, and technology developers who aim at shaping the future of smart and sustainable production through interdisciplinary innovation.
Prof. Dr. Manuela Ingaldi
Guest Editor
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
- smart manufacturing
- sustainable production
- Industry 4.0
- Industry 5.0
- collaborative robots (cobots)
- autonomous mobile robots (AMR)
- artificial intelligence (AI)
- digital twins
- green and lean manufacturing
- industrial innovation
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