Revolutionizing the circular economy through new technologies: A new era of sustainable progress

Abstract

Nowadays the pace of production and consumption is reaching environmentally unsustainable levels. In this regard, the great technological advances developed in recent years are postulated as a source of opportunities to boost the circular economy and sustainable development. This wide range of possibilities offered by new technologies to create a more sustainable reality has aroused the curiosity and interest of the academic world, especially in recent years. The main objective of this research is to reveal the main challenges and opportunities that arise when incorporating new technologies to the objectives of the circular economy. Regarding to the methodology, this study has been partially supported using bibliometric techniques. The results highlight the transformative role of new technologies, especially blockchain and artificial intelligence, in advancing the circular economy, with particular emphasis on the community and technology integration, ethical considerations, technological synergies, sustainable business models, and the burgeoning bioeconomy. We conclude that new technologies promise enhanced resource efficiency, optimized supply chains, innovative business models, and improved product lifecycle management, offering profound economic and environmental benefits while fostering sustainable consumption and collaborative innovation. However, these opportunities also represent the main challenges to address, such as integrating advanced production methods, ensuring supply chain transparency, overcoming the skill gap, avoiding data centralization, and adapting regulatory frameworks to foster equitable and sustainable growth. These are some of the most important areas for further research, especially those related to the development of employees' technological capabilities and the adaptation of regulatory frameworks, as they are understudied research gaps.