Special Issue "Cooperative Challenges for Sustainable Development of Enterprises in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2022.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sebastian Saniuk
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering Management and Logistic Systems, Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Zielona Góra, 65-417 Zielona Góra, Poland
Interests: management science, production engineering, logistics, production management
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Dr. Sandra Grabowska
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Production Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Katowice, Poland
Interests: Business models; business processes; Industrie 4.0; management science; SMEs; Virtual collaboration networks

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to contribute to a Special Issue of Sustainability entitled: “Cooperative Challenges for Sustainable Development of Enterprises in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution”

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is stimulating the advance of science and technology for cyber-physical system (CPS) development. New information and communication technologies (ICT) have changed the modus operandi, allowing enterprises to cross-organizational and territorial boundaries and realize network cooperation, increased agility, intelligence, and a higher level of sustainable development. 

Technological change has gained strategic importance in the thinking and actions of many market players, while also permeating all links in the value chain and the way they are linked, changing the extent of competition and the way consumer needs are met. Strong competition and growing customer expectations in today's market have led to an increase in demand for personalized production, i.e., the production of products better suited to individual customer needs. At the same time, the price of the product should be similar to the price of products manufactured in series production. 

Modern businesses, especially SMEs, need to look for new business models for networked forms of cooperation to achieve a high level of customization. This requires greater consumer involvement in the process of designing, manufacturing, and delivering a product to the market. In new forms of business relationships, with the involvement of intelligent digital content, Internet of things, and remote communication systems, the analysis of large data sets of business entities is creating new layouts for cooperation between the value chains of companies.

Such conditions of business operation force enterprises to invest in ICT technologies, intelligent machines, and devices and technologies that are closely related to the implementation of Industry 4.0. An important aspect of the development of the concept of Industry 4.0 and the cooperation of enterprises is the possibility of ensuring sustainable development through rational management of resources, better adjustment of production to the needs of the modern consumer, balanced economic development of regions, and care for environmental aspects.

With the development of Industry 4.0, new opportunities and threats for businesses are emerging, as well as social opportunities and threats. This increases the need to research the problems facing networked forms of cooperation between customer-oriented companies operating in the era of Industry 4.0, particularly concerning the following areas: 

  • Knowledge management in sustainable business networks of enterprises;
  • Business models of cooperating enterprises; 
  • Sustainable management in the Fourth Industrial Revolution;
  • Industrial and smart logistics in cooperative networks; 
  • Intelligent manufacturing systems and applications for industry 4.0;
  • Sustainable production in smart factories;
  • Challenges for managers and engineers in the network organization of Industry 4.0;
  • Cyber Security technologies supporting networks cooperation;
  • Business platforms supporting the organization of SMEs networks for Industry 4.0.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sebastian Saniuk
Dr. Sandra Grabowska
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 papers will be 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 1900 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
  • Network organization
  • Business models
  • Knowledge management
  • Industrial engineering
  • Customization of production
  • Sustainable development
  • Cyber Security technologies
  • Production management
  • Logistics 4.0

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

Article
Application of TestBed 4.0 Technology within the Implementation of Industry 4.0 in Teaching Methods of Industrial Engineering as Well as Industrial Practice
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8963; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168963 - 10 Aug 2021
Viewed by 430
Abstract
The paper is focused on the area of the constantly evolving industrial revolution both at the level of individual local economic opportunities and on a global scale. One of the tools of this time called Industry 4.0 is the TestBed 4.0 technology, which [...] Read more.
The paper is focused on the area of the constantly evolving industrial revolution both at the level of individual local economic opportunities and on a global scale. One of the tools of this time called Industry 4.0 is the TestBed 4.0 technology, which helps in its development and opens up opportunities for its use both in research and in practice in manufacturing companies. The paper describes the possibilities and capabilities of the laboratory, which was established as the first of its kind in the Slovak Republic on the campus of the Technical University in Košice in order to combine research activities with practical use directly in the production business processes. Its role is also to involve students in these processes, who, based on the acquired knowledge and experience, will strengthen their position in the labour market after completing their studies. The paper includes a description of available technologies, as well as several case studies carried out at the workplace where this laboratory is located, mainly in the field of industrial and digital engineering. Full article
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Article
Solution of Bottlenecks in the Logistics Flow by Applying the Kanban Module in the Tecnomatix Plant Simulation Software
Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7989; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147989 - 17 Jul 2021
Viewed by 459
Abstract
The presented article deals with the issue of solving bottlenecks in the logistics flow of a manufacturing company. The Tx Plant Simulation software tool is used to detect bottlenecks and deficiencies in the company’s production, logistics and transportation systems. Together with the use [...] Read more.
The presented article deals with the issue of solving bottlenecks in the logistics flow of a manufacturing company. The Tx Plant Simulation software tool is used to detect bottlenecks and deficiencies in the company’s production, logistics and transportation systems. Together with the use of simulation methods and lean manufacturing tools, losses in business processes are eliminated and consequently flow throughput is improved. In the TX Plant Simulation software environment, using Bottleneck analyzer, bottlenecks were defined on the created simulation model and a method of optimizing logistics flows was designed and tested by introducing the Kanban pull system. This resulted in an improvement and throughput of the entire logistics flow, a reduction in inter-operational stocks and an increase in the efficiency of the production system as a whole. Full article
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Article
Diagnosis of the Maturity Level of Implementing Industry 4.0 Solutions in Selected Functional Areas of Management of Automotive Companies in Poland
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4867; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094867 - 26 Apr 2021
Viewed by 628
Abstract
The automotive sector is one of the key branches of the global economy. The automotive industry is also a very important sector of the Polish economy, as it generates over 8% of GDP and accounts for over 20% of the annual export value. [...] Read more.
The automotive sector is one of the key branches of the global economy. The automotive industry is also a very important sector of the Polish economy, as it generates over 8% of GDP and accounts for over 20% of the annual export value. Industry 4.0 and the effective use of modern technologies give a chance for its further dynamic development. The implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions in the business processes of automotive companies should not only take place in the area of production or logistics, as it is usually indicated, but also in their other functional areas, such as quality management, human resources management, and innovation management. The purpose of the article is to diagnose the level of maturity in the implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions in selected management areas of automotive companies operating in Poland. Using a maturity assessment tool, the authors assessed the level of maturity in six selected functional areas of an enterprise, such as production and logistics management, quality management, human resources management, social and environmental responsibility, and product innovation management. The authors also formulated conclusions and recommendations concerning actions that should be taken by automotive companies in order to achieve higher maturity levels in the implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions. Full article
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Article
Simulation Modeling of the Sustainable Supply Chain
Sustainability 2020, 12(15), 6007; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12156007 - 27 Jul 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 991
Abstract
The development of the global economy affects the environment in which we are living, often in negative ways, including pollutions, exhaust emissions, depletion of natural resources, and other concerns. Therefore, it is so important to use resources in a reasonable, sustainable manner and [...] Read more.
The development of the global economy affects the environment in which we are living, often in negative ways, including pollutions, exhaust emissions, depletion of natural resources, and other concerns. Therefore, it is so important to use resources in a reasonable, sustainable manner and to be aware of the impact of our activities on the environment, which in the next stage translates into trying to limit negative impacts to the environment. Aspects of sustainable supply chain (SSC) have become more and more popular in the last years. Entrepreneurs pay more attention to the aspect of sustainable development in their activities, especially to exhaust emissions. The rational use of resources is also a very important topic. Not only economic aspects but also environmental and social topics are taken into account in company politics, which is characteristic of sustainable development. The main purpose of this article is to show the benefits of SSC. For this purpose, the simulation models showing the supply chain and the sustainable supply chain will be built. The benefits of SSC in economic and environmental aspects will be presented using a computer simulation tool. Using a simulation tool fits in with sustainability; thanks to modeling supply chains in their virtuality and analysis, many resources can be saved in reality (for example, thanks to the consolidation of freight). Full article
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Article
Practical Application of the Industry 4.0 Concept in a Steel Company
Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5776; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145776 - 17 Jul 2020
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 1878
Abstract
The primary aim of this paper was to present and analyze practical solutions of Industry 4.0 as applied in the Re Alloys company. The research question was whether the implementation of the digitization process based on Industry 4.0 resulted in changes to the [...] Read more.
The primary aim of this paper was to present and analyze practical solutions of Industry 4.0 as applied in the Re Alloys company. The research question was whether the implementation of the digitization process based on Industry 4.0 resulted in changes to the organizational structure of the company and whether this brought about an improvement in the energy and material efficiency of the company. The research method used in the paper was the case study method. In view of the project’s results, we concluded that implementation of the new solution based on digitalization caused increased energy and material efficiency, often forced by external factors stemming from the operation of competitive markets. Technological changes also require the application of IT technologies and communication systems in managing production. Access to this information is also a chance to gain a competitive advantage. Full article
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