Metaverse: a possible sustainability enabler in the transition from Industry 4.0 to 5.0.

Abstract

Industry 4.0 has supported and changed the way companies operate over the last decade. Today, the increasing focus on sustainability in all its pillars is initiating a critical process and revision about the Fourth Industrial Revolution. A new scenario characterized by human-centricity, resilience and social sustainability, named Industry 5.0, is emerging.In this transition process, new and old enabling technologies are appearing, among them the Metaverse. Although its actual functions are not yet fully investigated, from different perspective this tool could adequately support the definition of Industry 5.0 by creating a symbiotic ecosystem between companies, workers and consumers. Against this backdrop, the aim of this paper is to investigate, through a systematic literature review, the role of the Metaverse in the approach to sustainability in order to understand in which way this technology can be useful for the transition. The results may support policy makers, managers and practitioners in understanding the role of Metaverse in sustainability and in the new wave of Industrial Revolution. Limits and future research steps are also discussed.