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The Role of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 Technologies in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the VUCA World

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: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 2356

Special Issue Editors

Department of Industrial Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22453-900, Brazil
Interests: digital transformation (Industry 4.0) in operations and supply chain management (OSCM); integration of digital technologies with sustainability; computational intelligence; multicriteria decision-making models (multiple-criteria decision-making - MCDM)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Industrial Engineering Department, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rio de Janeiro 22541-041, Brazil
Interests: sales and operations planning; supply chain management; sustainability; operations and business strategy; empirical research methods in operations management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
EM Normandie Business School, Le Havre, France
Interests: supply chain management; operations management; sustainable operations; Industry 4.0; production planning and control; lean manufacturing; quick-response manufacturing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Industrial Engineering Department, Federal University of São Carlos Agro-Industrial Engineering Department, Mato Grosso University State, São Carlos, Brazil
Interests: Industry 4.0; maturity models and frameworks; operations and supply chain management; design science research; smart manufacturing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable Operations and Supply Chain Management (S-OSCM) (Caiado et al., 2022) faces dynamic changes brought by the chaos of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) environments (Nowacka and Rzemieniak, 2022) that impact the functioning of companies. This VUCA world demands greater agility and adaptability from leaders who need to make “continuous changes in people, processes, technology, and structure” (Horney et al., 2010). The industry has undergone changes that directly affect companies and workers, and which were introduced with digital or disruptive technologies arising from the fourth industrial revolution (Caiado et al., 2021), which began in Germany and with new interpretations in programs, such as “Society 5.0” from Japan. On the other hand, while Industry 4.0 (I4.0) focuses mainly on cost reduction and more efficient production techniques in the industry, Society 5.0 (Deguchi et al., 2020) involves similar technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence (AI), cyber-physical systems, big data analytics (BDA), the Internet of Things (IoT)), but involving the whole of society (Zengin et al., 2021) under the leadership of science, technology, and innovation, and prioritizing a direct relationship with the United Nations 2030 Agenda (Caiado et al., 2018). There are still gaps concerning the incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), together with the digitalization of industrial processes, which has become technocratic and ignores socially sustainable aspects. In this context, the need for high investments in digital transformation; the greater degree of customer participation through product customization and new business models, along with servitization (Weking et al., 2019); the inability of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to implement I4.0 (Machado et al., 2021); and the transition from Operator 4.0 (focused on the relationships of trust and interaction between humans and machines) to Operator 5.0 (focused on collaboration with the equipment using its physical, sensory, and cognitive capabilities in an environment that provides safe work) (Zizic et al., 2022) are examples of drivers to carefully consider the central role of the human being in the I4.0 paradigm. It is also observed that the political and public discourse on I4.0, and its implications on S-OSCM, needs to be intensified for the success of digital and socio-technical transformation, through the achievement of the SDGs via the joint efforts of multiple stakeholders (e.g., government, the business community, and social institutions) (Beier et al., 2021; Farsi et al., 2021). Currently, the Industry 5.0 (I5.0) paradigm complements I4.0, recognizing the industry's capacity to become a sustainable source of development, but considering the limitations of the planet and prioritizing employee health, a role that was emphasized during the COVID-19 (Nowacka and Rzemieniak, 2022) pandemic. I5.0 emerged as an extension, and is based on principles such as human centrality, environmental management, and social benefit, and has a vision for an innovative, resilient, socio-centric, and competitive industry that minimizes negative environmental and social impacts (Akundi et al., 2022; Nul et al., 2021).

This Special Issue aims to explore the various SDG challenges facing S-OSCM in the era of I4.0 (Cunha et al., 2021; Nascimento et al., 2019) and through the lens of the I5.0 paradigm, considering industrial transition through 'green’, 'digital', and 'competitive’ views (Farsi et al., 2021). This Special Issue encourages researchers from a variety of fields interfacing with new theories and applications related to I4.0, Society 5.0, or I5.0, and the Sustainable Development Goals to contribute original and high-quality research papers to fulfill our aim. Submissions may include conceptual papers on theory elaboration (Wacker, 2008), theory-based systematic literature reviews (Seuring et al., 2021), methodological advances in operations research and modeling, qualitative surveys and case studies, quantitative empirical methods, and mixed-methods research (Choi et al., 2016). Manuscripts will cover both theoretical and empirical studies. Topics covering core technologies of I5.0 vision (e.g., human–machine interactive technologies; smart materials and bio-inspired technologies; digital twins and real-time simulations; energy-efficient data transmission, storage, and analysis technologies; AI; and efficient and renewable energy technologies) (Beier et al., 2021), OSCM digitalization, S-OSCM, SDGs, and issues related to global crises and challenges (e.g., COVID-19 disruptions in healthcare or the general OSCM domain) are equally welcome. They should demonstrate the pressing matters facing the interface of I4.0/5.0 and SDGs. It is equally expected that the contributed papers will bridge theory and practice, opening avenues for new research agendas and business models.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • The relationship between the I4.0 and the UN’s SDGs;
  • Potential benefits of I4.0 for sustainable development;
  • Potential risks of I4.0, Society 5.0 or I5.0 for sustainable development;
  • The most important SDGs for I4.0, Society 5.0 or I5.0;
  • Application of multicriteria methods in S-OSCM;
  • Fuzzy sets theory and applications in S-OSCM;
  • Data envelopment analysis and supply chain flexibility and resilience;
  • I4.0 technologies in food supply chains;
  • Transportation and logistical problems in S-OSCM;
  • Sustainable humanitarian supply chain management and practices;
  • Sales and Operations Planning interfaces with sustainability, global economies, and I4.0;
  • Heuristics optimization methods in sustainable supply chain networks;
  • Lean and agile management in sustainability management;
  • I5.0 and the assessment and optimization of the OSCM in manufacturing processes;
  • Multi-objective mathematical models to design a sustainable-resilient supply chain based on strategic and tactical decision levels;
  • Optimization of data mining methods using a comprehensive multi-level, multi-factor, multi-objective, and multi-index evaluation system involving technology, economics, and safety;
  • Influence of the IoT and emerging technologies on organizations' digital transformation capabilities;
  • I5.0 in the context of business management, innovation, and digitalization;
  • The translation of critical success factors from project management concerning I4.0 to sustainability;
  • Nexus of business leadership and product innovation through design thinking;
  • Influence of digital product and process innovations on customers' profitable strategies in a global context;
  • The potential of biological resources and policy to drive I5.0;
  • I5.0 in the context of smart and sustainable manufacturing;
  • Components that enable I5.0 for intelligent production systems;
  • Cloud-based decision-making on information acquired from sensors;
  • Power dispatch systems enabled by machine learning;
  • I5.0 and the transformation driven by IoT, BDA, and AI;
  • IoT technology, such as sensors and actuators in the I5.0 industrial process to help mass customization of products;
  • Expansion of technology infrastructure, provision of budget support based on sustainable business models, standardization, and synchronization protocols;
  • Taxonomies to help in implementing methods and algorithms for different I4.0 applications;
  • Techniques to improve the security and efficiency of data transmission between IoT devices, exploring the use of deep learning and AI for monitoring;
  • Connectivity and coexistence of human machines;
  • Knowledge-based tasks and automation for humans and robots to measure cycle times;
  • Application of social value orientation theory to the contexts of human machines and multi-agent systems;
  • Soft robotics for industrial applications with a worker-centric approach;
  • AI for robust mobile robotics solutions;
  • The need for a strong workforce to adapt to workplaces and companies;
  • New perspectives on human centrality in future smart manufacturing;
  • An agent-based approach to explore the effects of human-robot interactions;
  • Socio-technical skills in I4.0.

Original papers relating to the above topics that provide the latest scholarly information and case studies on S-OSCM and its applications are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

References

  1. Bianco, D.; Bueno, A.; Godinho Filho, M.; Latan, H.; Ganga, G. M. D.; Frank, A. G.; Jabbour, C. J. C. The role of Industry 4.0 in developing resilience for manufacturing companies during COVID-19. J. Prod. Econ. 2023, 256, 108728.
  2. Bueno, A.; Godinho Filho, M.; Frank, A. G. Smart production planning and control in the Industry 4.0 context: A systematic literature review. Ind. Eng. 2020, 149, 106774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2020.106774.
  3. Akundi, A.; Euresti, D.; Luna, S.; Ankobiah, W.; Lopes, A.; Edinbarough, I. State of Industry 5.0—Analysis and Identification of Current Research Trends. Syst. Innov. 2022, 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/asi5010027.
  4. Beier, G.; Niehoff, S.; Hoffmann, M. Industry 4.0: a step towards achieving the SDGs? A critical literature review. Discov. Sustain. 2021, 2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-021-00030-1.
  5. Caiado, R.G.G.; Leal Filho, W.; Quelhas, O.L.G.; Luiz de Mattos Nascimento, D.; Ávila, L.V. A literature-based review on potentials and constraints in the implementation of the sustainable development goals. Clean. Prod. 2018, 198, 1276–1288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.07.102.
  6. Caiado, R.G.G.; Scavarda, L.F.; Azevedo, B.D.; Nascimento, D.L. de M.; Quelhas, O.L.G. Challenges and Benefits of Sustainable Industry 4.0 for Operations and Supply Chain Management—A Framework Headed toward the 2030 Agenda. Sustainability 2022, 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020830.
  7. Caiado, R.G.G.; Scavarda, L.F.; Gavião, L.O.; Ivson, P.; Nascimento, D.L. de M.; Garza-Reyes, J.A. A fuzzy rule-based industry 4.0 maturity model for operations and supply chain management. J. Prod. Econ. 2021, 231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2020.107883.
  8. Choi, T.M.; Cheng, T.C.E.; Zhao, X. Multi-Methodological Research in Operations Management. Oper. Manag. 2016, 25, 379–389. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12534.
  9. Cunha, V.H.C.; Caiado, R.G.G.; Corseuil, E.T.; Neves, H.F.; Bacoccoli, L. Automated compliance checking in the context of Industry 4.0: from a systematic review to an empirical fuzzy multi-criteria approach. Soft Comput. 2021, 25, 6055–6074. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00500-021-05599-3.
  10. Deguchi, A.; Hirai, C.; Matsuoka, H.; Nakano, T.; Oshima, K.; Tai, M.; Tani, S. What Is Society 5.0? In Society 5.0: A People-Centric Super-Smart Society; Springer: Singapore, 2020.
  11. Farsi, M.; Mishra, R.K.; Erkoyuncu, J.A. Industry 5.0 for Sustainable Reliability Centered Maintenance. SSRN Electron. J. 2021. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3944533.
  12. Horney, N.; Pasmore, B.; O’Shea, T. Leadership agility: A business imperative for a VUCA world. People Strateg. 2010, 33, 32–38.
  13. Machado, E.; Scavarda, L.F.; Caiado, R.G.G.; Thomé, A.M.T. Barriers and Enablers for the Integration of Industry 4.0 and Sustainability in Supply Chains of MSMEs. Sustainability 2021, 13, 11664.
  14. Nascimento, D.L.M.; Alencastro, V.; Quelhas, O.L.G.; Caiado, R.G.G.; Garza-Reyes, J.A.; Lona, L.R.; Tortorella, G. Exploring Industry 4.0 technologies to enable circular economy practices in a manufacturing context: A business model proposal. Manuf. Technol. Manag. 2019, 30. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-03-2018-0071.
  15. Nowacka, A.; Rzemieniak, M. The impact of the vuca environment on the digital competences of managers in the power industry. Energies 2022, 15, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15010185.
  16. Nul, L. De, Breque, M.; Petridis, A. Industry 5.0—Towards a sustainable, human-centric and resilient European industry. 2021. https://doi.org/10.2777/308407.
  17. Seuring, S.; Yawar, S.A.; Land, A.; Khalid, R.U.; Sauer, P.C. The application of theory in literature reviews – illustrated with examples from supply chain management. J. Oper. Prod. Manag. 2021, 41, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-04-2020-0247.
  18. Wacker, J.G. A conceptual understanding of requirements for theory-building research: Guidelines for scientific theory building. Supply Chain Manag. 2008, 44, 5–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-493X.2008.00062.x.
  19. Weking, J.; Stöcker, M.; Kowalkiewicz, M.; Böhm, M.; Krcmar, H. Leveraging industry 4.0—A business model pattern framework. J. Prod. Econ. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2019.107588.
  20. Zengin, Y.; Naktiyok, S.; Kaygın, E.; Kavak, O.; Topçuoğlu, E. An investigation upon industry 4.0 and society 5.0 within the context of sustainable development goals. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2682. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052682.
  21. Zizic, M.C.; Mladineo, M.; Gjeldum, N.; Celent, L. From Industry 4.0 towards Industry 5.0: A Review and Analysis of Paradigm Shift for the People, Organization and Technology. Energies 2022, 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15145221.

Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Goyannes Gusmão Caiado
Prof. Dr. Antonio Márcio Tavares Thomé
Prof. Dr. Moacir Godinho Filho
Prof. Dr. Adauto Farias Bueno
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Industry 4.0
  • Society 5.0
  • Industry 5.0
  • operations and supply chain management
  • Sustainable Development Goals
  • supply chain disruption and resilience

Published Papers (3 papers)

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34 pages, 13830 KiB  
Article
Mapping the Research Landscape of Industry 5.0 from a Machine Learning and Big Data Analytics Perspective: A Bibliometric Approach
by Adrian Domenteanu, Bianca Cibu and Camelia Delcea
Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2764; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072764 - 27 Mar 2024
Viewed by 149
Abstract
Over the past years, machine learning and big data analysis have emerged, starting as a scientific and fictional domain, very interesting but difficult to test, and becoming one of the most powerful tools that is part of Industry 5.0 and has a significant [...] Read more.
Over the past years, machine learning and big data analysis have emerged, starting as a scientific and fictional domain, very interesting but difficult to test, and becoming one of the most powerful tools that is part of Industry 5.0 and has a significant impact on sustainable, resilient manufacturing. This has garnered increasing attention within scholarly circles due to its applicability in various domains. The scope of the article is to perform an exhaustive bibliometric analysis of existing papers that belong to machine learning and big data, pointing out the capability from a scientific point of view, explaining the usability of applications, and identifying which is the actual in a continually changing domain. In this context, the present paper aims to discuss the research landscape associated with the use of machine learning and big data analysis in Industry 5.0 in terms of themes, authors, citations, preferred journals, research networks, and collaborations. The initial part of the analysis focuses on the latest trends and how researchers lend a helping hand to change preconceptions about machine learning. The annual growth rate is 123.69%, which is considerable for such a short period, and it requires a comprehensive analysis to check the boom of articles in this domain. Further, the exploration investigates affiliated academic institutions, influential publications, journals, key contributors, and most delineative authors. To accomplish this, a dataset has been created containing researchers’ papers extracted from the ISI Web of Science database using keywords associated with machine learning and big data, starting in 2016 and ending in 2023. The paper incorporates graphs, which describe the most relevant authors, academic institutions, annual publications, country collaborations, and the most used words. The paper ends with a review of the globally most cited documents, describing the importance of machine learning and big data in Industry 5.0. Full article
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21 pages, 2289 KiB  
Article
Cultivating Design Thinking for Sustainable Business Transformation in a VUCA World: Insights from a German Case Study
by Markus Niehaus and Marian Mocan
Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2447; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062447 - 15 Mar 2024
Viewed by 529
Abstract
Companies around the world are facing global challenges, such as internationally interwoven crisis situations and conflicts, climate change, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and technological disruptions. While the UN has developed a global agenda (namely, the SDGs) to drive sustainability, at a [...] Read more.
Companies around the world are facing global challenges, such as internationally interwoven crisis situations and conflicts, climate change, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and technological disruptions. While the UN has developed a global agenda (namely, the SDGs) to drive sustainability, at a political and economic level, global players seem to have a rather heterogeneous understanding of the situation. How can companies successfully adapt to the resulting turbulent market environments? Design Thinking, a method for finding answers to complex and wicked problems, is experiencing a renaissance wherein it is being used not only as a tool for product innovation but also for organizational and strategic transformation. By incorporating the principles of Industry 5.0 into company visions and integrating Design Thinking and ecodesign at the level product innovation, Design Thinking can help strengthen the adaptability of companies and create sustainable innovations in these VUCA environments. However, the factors that are necessary to realize the full potential of Design Thinking for sustainable business transformation remain unclear in science. This paper presents a case study that shares key factors, including a company DNA that consists of a targeted orchestration of diversity and the company’s Love–Trust–Do mantra that, in combination, work transnationally in the company organization and can utilize the full potential of Design Thinking to foster sustainable innovation and thus strengthen the company’s resiliency in times of VUCA. Full article
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26 pages, 3443 KiB  
Article
Industry 4.0 and Sustainability Integration in the Supply Chains of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises through People, Process, and Technology within the Triple Bottom Line Perspective
by Eduardo Augusto Machado, Luiz Felipe Scavarda, Rodrigo Goyannes Gusmão Caiado and Renan Silva Santos
Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1141; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031141 - 29 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 955
Abstract
This study fills a crucial gap in the research on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), with the main objective of proposing a framework to support the integration of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and sustainability into the supply chains of MSMEs. This integration is [...] Read more.
This study fills a crucial gap in the research on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), with the main objective of proposing a framework to support the integration of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and sustainability into the supply chains of MSMEs. This integration is accomplished by people, process, and technology (PPT) mechanisms, all while adopting the triple bottom line (TBL) perspective. A mixed-method approach was employed for this study, which included a scoping review of 147 publications, expert panels, focus groups, and a survey with 55 valid responses. The findings identified 32 key indicators linked to the primary barriers and enablers of I4.0 and sustainability integration (S-I4.0) in MSMEs’ supply chains. This study also highlighted the dominant barriers and enablers within the PPT mechanisms and TBL dimensions, and their causal relationships and influences. The results were synthesized into a novel S-I4.0 framework, separately applied to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) and Medium Enterprises (MEs) due to company size-related variations. This study offers valuable insights for academics and provides practical guidelines to assist MSMEs in integrating I4.0 and sustainability into their supply chains. An important contribution concerns to the need to treat MSEs and MEs differently. These research results provide relevant and novel guidance for MSEs and MEs to accelerate the S-I4.0 adoption process, with an immediate impact on their supply chains. Full article
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