Sustainable Manufacturing Systems in the Context of Industry 4.0

Dear Colleagues,

Traditional manufacturing systems are often associated with high levels of resource consumption, waste generation, and environmental pollution. As industries face increasing pressure from governments, consumers, and environmental organizations to reduce their ecological footprints, the integration of sustainable practises becomes imperative. Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Big Data, in the context of Industry 4.0, offer new opportunities to address these challenges.

The resulting approaches will include integrating environmental, health, and safety concerns with green-product design, lean and green operations, real-time monitoring, energy-efficient scheduling, green logistics, and circular supply chains. These innovations provide the tools to drive sustainability in ways that were previously not possible and will help us transition to equitable, sustainable, post-fossil carbon societies based on renewable energy and improved energy efficiency at all levels.

The Special Issue is designed to provide insights into how Industry 4.0 can reshape the manufacturing sector in a way to contribute to long-term environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Specifically, it focuses on ways that emerging technologies of Industry 4.0, such as AI, IoT, and Big Data, can be leveraged to enhance sustainability goals, improve efficiency, reduce environmental footprints, and foster green supply chains for manufacturing systems.

This Special Issue will include research papers, case studies, and reviews in the field of sustainable manufacturing systems related to sustainability and to intelligent decision-making. 

Dr. Jian Chen
Dr. Yaowen Sang
Dr. Jun Xu
Dr. Penghao Cui
Prof. Donald Huisingh
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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