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Challenges and Future Trends of Industry 4.0
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Challenges and Future Trends of Industry 4.0

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 20725

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alessandra Micozzi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Economics, Universitas Mercatorum, Rome, Italy
Interests: entrepreneurship; high-tech entrepreneurship; start-ups; spin-offs; technology transfer
Dr. Dominique Lepore

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Law, Università di Macerata, Macerata, Italy
Interests: Industry 4.0; innovation intermediaries; innovation ecosystems; health
Prof. Dr. Maria Palazzo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Management, Universitas Mercatorum, Rome, Italy
Interests: CSR; ethics;stakeholder engagement; marketing; communication; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on I4.0 trends and challenges wants to bring new light to the complex phenomenon of Industry 4.0.

I4.0 emphasizes the prominence of data collection and exchange throughout the value chain [1] by introducing production systems that are increasingly intelligent, autonomous, and automated [2].

I4.0 can be seen as the integration of information and communications technologies (ICT) with industrial technology [3]. The main technologies are cyber-physical systems (CPSs), Internet of things (IoT), robotics, big data, cloud manufacturing, and augmented reality. These enabling technologies are used to improve products and processes, increase efficiency and productivity, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction [4,5]. The benefits that firms can capture from the adoption of an I4.0 approach include greater flexibility and speed from prototype to series production; increased productivity due to shorter set-up times, reduced errors and machine downtime; better quality; and less waste [6]. Moreover, accidents can be prevented by integrating I4.0 technologies into safety management systems [7,8].

The topics of the Special Issue include: 

  • The capability of enabling technology to contribute to sustainability at environmental, managerial, and social levels;
  • The relationship between workers and machines;
  • Integration of additive manufacturing in smart factories;
  • Manufacturing processes integrated with sensor data;
  • Manufacturing data analysis and diagnostics for real-time reporting;
  • New human–machine interface and communication technologies;
  • Cyber–physical systems for the design and operation of smart manufacturing facilities;
  • Use of cloud, distributed and digital manufacturing paradigms in cyber–physical systems;
  • Industry 4.0 applications for COVID-19. 

We would like to see profound and rigorous theoretical, managerial and policy contributions that I4.0 advance and challenge existing theories used in global management and business research, performance and competitive advantage.

We have no a priori preferences regarding the theoretical stance or methodological approach. We welcome papers using traditional methodologies, survey, qualitative research as well as emerging innovative approaches including the use of algorithms, contrarian case analysis and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).

The articles must be able to clearly demonstrate a significant contribution to management and applied economics scholarship.

All manuscripts should apply the general author guidelines for Sustainability.

References

  1. Schwab, K. The Fourth Industrial Revolution; Crown Business: New York, NY, USA, 2017.
  2. Rojko, A. Industry 4.0 Concept: Background and Overview. Int. J. Interact. Mob. Technol. (iJIM) 2017, 11, 77–90.
  3. Zhou, K.; Liu, T.; Zhou, L. Industry 4.0: Towards future industrial opportunities and challenges. In Proceedings of the 2015 12th International Conference on Fuzzy Systems and Knowledge Discovery (FSKD), Zhangjiajie, China, 15–17 August 2015; pp. 2147–2152.
  4. Schumacher, A.; Erol, S.; Sihn, W. A Maturity Model for Assessing Industry 4.0 Readiness and Maturity of Manufacturing Enterprises. Procedia CIRP 2016, 52, 161–166.
  5. Fatorachian, H.; Kazemi, H. A critical investigation of Industry 4.0 in manufacturing: Theoretical operationalisation framework. Prod. Plan. Control 2018, 29, 633–644.
  6. Mckinsey & Company. Coronavirus: Industrial IoT in Challenging Times 2020. Available online: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/advanced-electronics/our-insights/coronavirus-industrial-iot-in-challenging-times
  7. Di Nardo, M.; Madonna, M.; Murino, T.; Castagna, F. Modelling a Safety Management System Using System Dynamics at the Bhopal Incident. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 903.
  8. Lepore, D., Micozzi, A., Spigarelli, F. (2021), Industry 4.0 Accelerating Sustainable Manufacturing in the COVID-19 Era: Assessing the Readiness and Responsiveness of Italian Regions. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2670. 

Dr. Alessandra Micozzi
Dr. Dominique Lepore
Dr. Maria Palazzo
Guest Editors

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.

Keywords

  • Industry 4.0
  • new technology
  • inclusion
  • smart factory

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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16 pages, 1463 KiB  
Article
Lean Construction: A Sustainability Operation for Government Projects
by Arviga Bigwanto, Naniek Widayati, Mochamad Agung Wibowo and Endah Murtiana Sari
Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3386; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083386 - 18 Apr 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1811
Abstract
The current state budget allocated for Indonesian government projects has exceeded 10% for infrastructure development. This large budget indicates a need for the construction industry to implement more professional management practices for better cost, time, quality, safety, and environmental impact. Lean construction is [...] Read more.
The current state budget allocated for Indonesian government projects has exceeded 10% for infrastructure development. This large budget indicates a need for the construction industry to implement more professional management practices for better cost, time, quality, safety, and environmental impact. Lean construction is used to increase productivity and reduce waste in a project. Therefore, this study aimed to extend lean construction principles to the planning and execution phases of DB projects, where these two entities are integrated into the main contractor. Quantitative and qualitative study methods were used to analyze secondary data from six DB project sites and conduct focus group discussions (FGDs) with expert panels using the Delphi method for consensus. The results showed the factors and variables that influence the implementation of lean construction in government projects in Indonesia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Future Trends of Industry 4.0)
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18 pages, 2967 KiB  
Article
A Framework for Sustainable Manufacturing: Integrating Industry 4.0 Technologies with Industry 5.0 Values
by Alejandro M. Martín-Gómez, Alejandro Agote-Garrido and Juan Ramón Lama-Ruiz
Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1364; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041364 - 6 Feb 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4151
Abstract
The limitations imposed by resource scarcity and the imperative to mitigate adverse environmental and societal impacts have intensified the urgency of developing more sustainable manufacturing systems. Simultaneously, the rapid development and implementation of new technologies is exacerbating the digital divide among vulnerable workers. [...] Read more.
The limitations imposed by resource scarcity and the imperative to mitigate adverse environmental and societal impacts have intensified the urgency of developing more sustainable manufacturing systems. Simultaneously, the rapid development and implementation of new technologies is exacerbating the digital divide among vulnerable workers. Concomitantly, the enabling technologies stemming from Industry 4.0 offer significant potential to enhance the competitiveness of manufacturing systems. However, the impact of these enabling technologies on achieving sustainable manufacturing remains uncertain. This paper embarks on a comprehensive exploration to address this knowledge gap. Initially, it assesses the suitability of each enabling technology within Industry 4.0 across the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Subsequently, the needs of the production process are studied to characterize its sustainable performance. For this, the ASTM E3012-22 standard is introduced. Building upon this foundation, the incorporation of Industry 5.0 is introduced to guide the selection of enabling technologies for sustainability based on its core values, encompassing sustainability, human-centricity, and resilience. The integration of new technologies guided by these values can help bridge the technological divide among vulnerable workers. Finally, a theoretical framework is proposed to enable the design of sustainable manufacturing systems guided by Industry 5.0 values. This framework enables the seamless integration of enabling technologies, machinery, and human expertise throughout the system life cycle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Future Trends of Industry 4.0)
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22 pages, 1799 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Factors Influencing Agility in Start-Ups Industry 4.0
by Aswathy Sreenivasan, Suresh Ma, Ateekh Ur Rehman and Shanthi Muthuswamy
Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7564; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097564 - 5 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2906
Abstract
Agility has a special place in the start-up Industry 4.0 era. More research is required to properly comprehend the agile implications of start-up Industry 4.0 regarding the impact of digitization on the economy, the environment, and society. Investigating the effects of start-up 4.0 [...] Read more.
Agility has a special place in the start-up Industry 4.0 era. More research is required to properly comprehend the agile implications of start-up Industry 4.0 regarding the impact of digitization on the economy, the environment, and society. Investigating the effects of start-up 4.0 agility is still in its early stages. The current study simulates the variables impacting agility in start-up activities in Industry 4.0 to tackle this problem. In addition to the pre-arranged interview, a closed-ended questionnaire was used to gather information. In the context of start-up operations 4.0, the MICMAC technique is used to evaluate and categorize the components that contribute to agility in order to comprehend their interconnections. The research identified eleven characteristics of facilitating agility in start-up operations 4.0. Industry 4.0 concepts have significantly influenced large organizations but deploying agility in start-up 4.0 has been less visible. Hence, this study presents an innovative approach to incorporating agility in modern start-up operations. The significance of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, network and connectivity, technology, and digital twin in this context is evident. The research provides important light on the elements that contribute to the successful use of agility in start-up 4.0, offering useful insights for stakeholders and academics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Future Trends of Industry 4.0)
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21 pages, 1277 KiB  
Article
Global Analysis Regarding the Impact of Digital Transformation on Macroeconomic Outcomes
by Mihaela Brindusa Tudose, Amalia Georgescu and Silvia Avasilcăi
Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4583; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054583 - 3 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4201
Abstract
In the context of the development of information technologies, the concerns about assessing the effects of digital transformation have increased. Although it is intuitively accepted that digital transformation has a favourable impact on macroeconomic variables (based on the interdependencies between micro- and macroeconomic [...] Read more.
In the context of the development of information technologies, the concerns about assessing the effects of digital transformation have increased. Although it is intuitively accepted that digital transformation has a favourable impact on macroeconomic variables (based on the interdependencies between micro- and macroeconomic performance), there is little scientific research providing evidence of this. Building on this identified research problem, this study aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice. After assessing the extent to which the world’s economies have responded to the need for digital transformation, an econometric analysis was conducted to quantify the impact of digital transformation on economic and social outcomes. To ensure the representativeness of the results, the econometric analysis was conducted on a sample of 46 countries selected according to the size of their gross national income per capita. The NRI (Network Readiness Index) and the sub-indices associated with the economic environment (future technologies, business, and economy) were used as independent variables. Gross domestic product (GDP) was used as a dependent variable. The results indicate that NRI has a positive and significant impact on GDP per capita. Analysis at the sub-indices level partially confirms this result and highlights that their contributions to the growth of macroeconomic performance may be different. The study results have practical utility as they provide clues on the structural efficiency of the benchmarks underpinning the digital transformation. To increase the positive impact on macroeconomic outcomes, policy-makers can propose and implement policies to facilitate access to those technologies that prove to be more effective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Future Trends of Industry 4.0)
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19 pages, 939 KiB  
Article
Building Inclusive Smart Cities through Innovation Intermediaries
by Dominique Lepore, Niccolò Testi and Edna Pasher
Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4024; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054024 - 22 Feb 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3417
Abstract
To be inclusive, smart cities should be built on Industry 4.0 technologies within a quadruple helix model involving governments, academia, industry, and citizens. Innovation intermediaries facilitating collaborative innovation could foster this model of smart city. This paper identifies digital innovation hubs (DIHs) as [...] Read more.
To be inclusive, smart cities should be built on Industry 4.0 technologies within a quadruple helix model involving governments, academia, industry, and citizens. Innovation intermediaries facilitating collaborative innovation could foster this model of smart city. This paper identifies digital innovation hubs (DIHs) as innovation intermediaries that can help build inclusive smart cities. A screening of DIHs in European and extra-European countries through desk research finds 48 DIHs linked to smart city projects or policies, of which 23 are involved in building inclusive smart cities and mostly addressing the areas of smart environment and government. This paper suggests a framework for boosting their functions as transformation leaders, knowledge brokers, and technical mediators to facilitate the use of Industry 4.0 technologies for building inclusive smart cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Future Trends of Industry 4.0)
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37 pages, 9375 KiB  
Systematic Review
Scheduling and Controlling Production in an Internet of Things Environment for Industry 4.0: An Analysis and Systematic Review of Scientific Metrological Data
by Lingye Tan, Tiong Lee Kong, Ziyang Zhang, Ahmed Sayed M. Metwally, Shubham Sharma, Kanta Prasad Sharma, Sayed M. Eldin and Dominik Zimon
Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7600; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097600 - 5 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2945
Abstract
To review the present scenario of the research on the scheduling and control of the production process in the manufacturing industry, this comprehensive article has extensively examined this field’s hotspots, boundaries, and overall evolutionary trajectory. This paper’s primary goal is to visualize and [...] Read more.
To review the present scenario of the research on the scheduling and control of the production process in the manufacturing industry, this comprehensive article has extensively examined this field’s hotspots, boundaries, and overall evolutionary trajectory. This paper’s primary goal is to visualize and conduct an organized review of 5052 papers and reviews that were published between 2002 and 2022. To reveal the “social, conceptual, and conceptual framework” of the production area, identify key factors and research areas, highlight major specialties and emerging trends, and conduct research, countries, institutions, literature keywords, etc., are all used. Additionally, research methodologies are always being improved. The aim of this work is to explore more references for research implementation by analyzing and classifying the present research status, research hotspots, and potential future trends in this field of research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges and Future Trends of Industry 4.0)
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