Industry 4.0 and Sustainability

Integrating Digital Technologies and Circular Models for a Sustainable Future

M. Imran Khan, Sami G. Al-Ghamdi, Mushtaq Khan

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9780443328817
• Topic: Design
• Subtopic: Human-Computer Interaction

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, commonly termed Industry 4.0, is transforming production and manufacturing through integration of advanced digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), industrial internet of things (IIoT), big data analytics, additive manufacturing, and advanced robotics. While much discussion has centered on potential economic impacts, Industry 4.0 also holds significant implications for sustainability across environmental, social, and economic dimensions. However, simply adopting technologies does not guarantee sustainability benefits, and improperly managed, they pose risks related to job losses, inequality, and rebound effects that must be addressed through integrative frameworks. Industry 4.0 and Sustainability will provide the first comprehensive, evidence-based perspective unifying technological, organizational, policy, and social considerations to strategically direct Industry 4.0 innovations towards improved sustainability across economic, environmental, and social dimensions. With applied case studies and integrated roadmaps spanning engineering, management, and policy, it fills a crucial gap in guiding Industry 4.0 deployments to accelerate progress on sustainable development goals. - Understand capabilities of Industry 4.0 technologies to transform manufacturing, operations, and business models towards sustainability - Learn integrative strategies combining technological and organizational interventions to maximize sustainability outcomes - Gain insights into implementation challenges and solutions from empirical case studies - Access innovative models and frameworks spanning engineering, management, and policy perspectives - Apply findings through recommendations and guidelines for research and practice - Appreciate nuances around balancing economic, environmental, and social sustainability - Develop interdisciplinary literacy at the nexus of digital technologies and sustainability

Table of contents

• Title of Book
• Chapter 1 Fundamentals of Industry 4.0 and sustainability
• Chapter 2 Sustainability imperatives for manufacturing
• Chapter 3 Cyber-physical security and sustainability: foundations for a resilient Industry
• Chapter 4 Artificial intelligence and sustainability: unlocking the potential of smart industrial transformation
• Chapter 5 Additive Manufacturing (AM): the future of sustainable manufacturing
• Chapter 6 Blockchain applications in sustainable supply chains
• Chapter 7 Harnessing big data for sustainability: opportunities, challenges, and ethical imperatives
• Chapter 8 Industry 4.0: digital technologies for sustainable outcomes
• Chapter 9 Digital twins, supply chains, and sustainability: an overview
• Chapter 10 Sustainable manufacturing practices in the digital era
• Chapter 11 Engineering and managing prescriptive maintenance
• Chapter 12 Predictive maintenance and intelligent asset management in Industry 4.0
• Chapter 13 Industry 4.0 technologies adopted by logistics companies for sustainability and competitiveness
• Chapter 14 Leveraging Industry 4.0 technologies for smart and sustainable wastewater treatment
• Chapter 15 Industry 4.0 and the circular economy: toward new business models
• Chapter 16 Aligning Industry 4.0 technologies with sustainability: the strategic role of circular open innovation and circular ambidexterity
• Chapter 17 Industry 4.0 and the circular economy: digitalization for sustainable transformation
• Chapter 18 Leadership of organizations and workforce development
• Chapter 19 Managing organizational change and transformation for Industry 4.0 integration
• Chapter 20 Critical social perspectives on automation and job impacts
• Chapter 21 Policy pathways to incentivize Industry 4.0 technology adoption
• Chapter 22 Barriers, best practices, and guidelines for implementation
• Chapter 23 Assessing readiness for Industry 4.0: key indexes and sustainable measures
• Chapter 24 Environmental impacts of digitalization based on life cycle assessment
• Chapter 25 Blockchain in supply chains: a promise still unfolding
• Index