Foundational Industry 4.0/5.0 Technologies in the Digital Transformation of Supply Chains: A Global Perspective
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: 15 July 2026 | Viewed by 55
Special Issue Editors
Interests: supply chain integration; sustainability transitions; research methods; public policy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: industry 4.0/5.0; maintenance; digital transformation; decision support; data science; sustainability
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue will examine the heterogeneous progression of the digital transformation of global supply chains through the lens of foundational Industry 4.0/5.0 technologies. Recognising that sectors are advancing unevenly in adopting IoT, AI, blockchain, and cyber–physical systems, this issue will investigate both barriers to (e.g., legacy systems, skill gaps, governance constraints, etc.) and enablers driving successful transformation. We encourage contributions that are rigorous, theoretically grounded, systematic literature reviews or use empirical, mixed-method, or quantitative modelling approaches to map relationships between digital enablers, business models, and organisational outcomes.
This issue will particularly emphasise cross-country comparative analyses, acknowledging divergent resource and institutional capacities between developed and developing economies. Its distinctive focus on social sustainability outcomes will position this collection at the intersection of technological advancement and human-centric operations. We especially welcome papers employing causal analysis or MCDM frameworks for investment prioritization; testing propositions through case studies, surveys, or panel data; or providing practice-oriented roadmaps.
By combining theoretical rigour with actionable insights, this Special Issue will advance evidence-based understanding of sustainable supply chain transformation, contributing to both academic discourse and the practical implementation of responsible digital transformation strategies in diverse global contexts.
Prof. Dr. Antonio Márcio Tavares Thomé
Dr. Renan Silva Santos
Dr. Mozart Caetano Heymann
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 4.0/5.0
- supply chain digital transformation
- sustainable supply chain management
- multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM)
- dynamic capabilities
- social sustainability
- digital technologies adoption
- global comparative analysis
- barriers and enablers
- human-centric operations
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