Advancing Operational Excellence Through Sustainable Quality Management in Industry 5.0
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 October 2026 | Viewed by 101
Special Issue Editors
2. Institute of Electronics and Informatics Engineering of Aveiro (IEETA), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: industrial management; information systems; human factors; sustainability; Industry 4.0; smart cities; participatory design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. Institute of Electronics and Informatics Engineering of Aveiro (IEETA), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: human factors; industry 4.0; engagement; lean; manufacturing; operational excellence
Interests: operational excellence in healthcare; digital technologies in healthcare; resilient healthcare; lean management; industry 4.0
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The transition toward Industry 5.0 represents a transformative phase in industrial development, integrating advanced digital technologies with a renewed focus on human-centric, sustainable, and resilient operational frameworks. As organizations strive to achieve operational excellence, the incorporation of sustainable quality management principles is paramount to aligning productivity, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. This Special Issue highlights the convergence of emerging technologies and sustainability-oriented strategies that drive the future of industrial performance and value creation.
Recent advancements emphasize the critical role of innovative information models and digital tools in enhancing resource efficiency and circularity, particularly in sectors such as agroforestry biomass recovery and pharmaceutical manufacturing. For instance, web app-based platforms designed for residual biomass recovery exemplify how digital solutions can optimize resource utilization, minimize waste, and support circular economy goals. Similarly, the development of information models for pharmaceutical smart factory equipment facilitates real-time decision-making, improves production quality, and embeds sustainability at the core of smart manufacturing processes.
Central to Industry 5.0 is the integration of human-AI collaboration, which modernizes legacy systems and fosters more agile, adaptive, and inclusive work environments. The interplay between intelligent systems and human expertise enables continuous improvement and innovation, which is essential for maintaining high standards of quality and sustainability. This collaborative paradigm extends to the design and management of smart cities and industrial ecosystems, where frameworks based on iterative cycles, such as PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act), guide sustainable development and operational agility.
Moreover, fostering circularity through regulatory frameworks and best practices is critical for sustainable resource management. Implementing policies that promote agroforestry biomass reuse and encourage sustainable supply chains is a key enabler for long-term environmental and economic resilience.
Key topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Sustainable quality management in Industry 5.0
- Human-centric, resilient, and environmentally responsible operations
- Integration of digital tools for resource efficiency and circular economy
- Regulatory frameworks supporting circularity and sustainable supply chains
- Workforce engagement in multigenerational digital environments
- Inclusive strategies for innovation and continuous improvement
Dr. Leonor Teixeira
Guest Editor
Dr. Juliana Salvadorinho
Dr. Guilherme Luz Tortorella
Co-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 5.0
- sustainable quality management
- operational excellence
- human–AI collaboration
- circular economy
- smart manufacturing
- resource efficiency
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