Digital Twins and Manufacturing Systems: How to Move Towards Sustainability in Industry 4.0

Dear Colleagues,

The advent of Industry 4.0 has ushered in a transformative era for manufacturing systems, presenting both opportunities and challenges in the pursuit of sustainability. As industries increasingly embrace digital technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data analytics, there is a critical need to explore how these innovations can be leveraged to promote sustainable manufacturing practices. The integration of Digital Twins—virtual representations of physical assets—offers unprecedented potential for optimizing resource use, reducing waste, and enhancing operational efficiency.

Sustainable manufacturing not only addresses environmental concerns but also fosters economic viability and social responsibility. This special issue invites contributions that delve into innovative approaches and frameworks that link Digital Twin technology to sustainable manufacturing practices, focusing on the following key topics:

    Development and application of Digital Twin models in manufacturing systems;

    Strategies for achieving sustainable innovation within Industry 4.0;

    Lean manufacturing principles and their role in environmental improvement;

    Real-time monitoring and optimization of resource consumption using Digital Twins;

    Case studies demonstrating successful implementations of sustainable manufacturing practices.

We encourage researchers, practitioners, and industry experts to submit original research articles, case studies, and reviews that contribute to advancing knowledge in this rapidly evolving field. Together, we can explore pathways toward a more sustainable future in manufacturing through the effective utilization of digital technologies.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Helena Navas
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.