The Impact of Industry 4.0 on the Steel Sector: Paving the Way for a Disruptive Digital and Ecological Transformation

PurposeUncovering the relationship between Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies and circular economy (CE) practices is critical not only for implementing CE but also for leveraging I4.0 to achieve sustainable development goals. However, the potential connection between them – especially how different I4.0 technologies may influence various CE practices – remains inadequately researched. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively explore the impacts of various I4.0 technologies on CE practices.Design/methodology/approachA mixed method consisting of a systematic literature review, content analysis, and social network analysis was adopted. First, 266 articles were selected and mined for contents of I4.0 technologies and CE practices; 27 I4.0 technologies and 21 CE practices were identified. Second, 62 articles were found that prove the positive influence of I4.0 technologies on CE practices, and 124 relationships were identified. Third, based on evidence supporting the link between I4.0 technologies and CE practices, a two-mode network and two one-mode networks were constructed, and their network density and degree centrality indicators were analyzed.FindingsI4.0 technologies have a low application scope and degree for promoting CE. The adoption of a single I4.0 technology has limited effect on CE practices, and wider benefits can be realized through integrating I4.0 technologies. The Internet of Things (IoT), additive manufacturing, big data and analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) are among the top technologies promoting CE implementation and reduction and recycling were identified as the main mechanism. The integration of these technologies is the most popular and effective. Twelve CE practices were identified to be the most widely implemented and supported by I4.0 technologies.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, only journal articles, reviews, and online publications written in English were selected, excluding articles published in other languages. Therefore, the results obtained only represent a specific group of scholars, which may be fragmented to a certain extent. Second, because the extraction of the impact of I4.0 on CE mainly relies on a manual literature review, this paper only provides the statistics of the number of publications involving relationships, while lacking the weight measurement of relationships.Originality/valueA comprehensive, quantitative, and visual analysis method was employed to unveil the current implementation levels of I4.0 technologies and CE practices. Further, it was explored how different I4.0 technologies can affect various CE aspects, how different I4.0 technologies are integrated to promote CE realization, and how various CE practices are implemented simultaneously by I4.0 technologies.

Бізнес-моделі інтернету речей

This study aims to examine the influence of Circular Economy ( CE ) practices on firm orientation toward Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) within the automotive industry, with a particular focus on the moderating role of technological innovation. Using panel data from major global automotive firms over the period 2016 to 2022, we employed the System Generalized Method of Moments ( SYS ‐ GMM ) technique to address endogeneity and dynamic panel bias. CE practices were assessed through sustainability‐related metrics, while SDG disclosure performance was evaluated based on depth, breadth, and concentration dimensions. The empirical findings reveal that CE practices significantly enhance the depth and breadth of firms' SDG disclosures, although they may reduce the concentration of disclosures across specific goals. Furthermore, technological innovation positively moderates these relationships, amplifying the impact of CE practices by enabling more comprehensive and detailed SDG reporting through advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things. The results emphasize the strategic value of integrating CE initiatives with technological innovation to drive sustainability performance and reporting transparency in the automotive sector. Policy recommendations include promoting supportive regulatory frameworks, offering financial incentives for green technological investments, and enforcing comprehensive sustainability reporting standards. This study contributes to the literature by providing robust empirical evidence on the synergistic role of CE and technological innovation in advancing corporate contributions toward SDGs in the automotive industry.

Opportunities for disruptive digital technologies to ensure circularity in supply Chain: A critical review of drivers, barriers and challenges

Innovating organizations are adopting and quickly implementing the open innovation (OI) approach for developing new products and services. There is a growing need to improve the process, to achieve faster and better outcomes. The integration of disruptive digital technologies (DTs) into the innovation processes bolsters the development of new business models, innovation processes, and ecosystems. However, there is limited information regarding the management of a digitalized OI process, and the role of different DTs across the stages of the innovation process. A conceptualized framework has been established, which integrates different DTs, and maps them across the stages of the OI process. The framework identifies the links between different dimensions and attributes of different DTs, such as big data, the IoT, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain and social media, and the stages of the OI process. The framework also provides a consolidated approach for understanding the benefits and challenges of different DTs across the OI process.

In transitioning from a linear economy model to a circular business, digital technologies can help manage the flow of restorative and regenerative resources. In this context, the present study aims to evaluate the contribution of digital technologies, such as the internet of things (IoT), Big Data and Blockchain in the execution of circular economy (CE) practices and what mechanisms companies are adopting to integrate digital technologies into the circular context. The research method consists of an exploratory case study with a qualitative approach. Two prominent companies took part in the study. The results indicate benefits highlighted by companies, contemplate that Big Data analysis has improved performance in data processing and management, IoT has added monitoring and traceability to companies' packaging, thus bringing efficiency to recycling, recovery, reuse and disposal, and the Blockchain provides traceability, security and reliability for the implemented practice. This study contributes by exploring the factors that will help explain the mechanism for implementing CE practices. The present study integrates two dimensions (i.e., CE and digital technology). In doing so, it expands previous studies on CE practices by adopting digital technologies. As a practical contribution, the companies in the study understood that integration with startups benefits the development of projects. In addition to innovative proposals, they present digital technologies as management solutions for implementing CE practices.

The digital supply chains enabled by Big Data Analytics (BDA) capabilities have become a business significance to develop a competitive and sustainable supply chain. The implementation of BDA for sustainable supply chains introduces various organisational challenges for the manufacturing firms demanding complementary capabilities. This study presents an investigation of the linkages between BDA capabilities, circular economy (CE) practices, and sustainable supply chain (SSC) flexibility on the SSC performance. Based on a survey of 320 manufacturing organisations, the study presents very interesting results. It is revealed that the BDA does not have a direct effect on sustainable performance. The CE practices and SSC flexibility are significant mediating variables between the BDA capabilities and SSC performance. The BDA is found to drive the implementation of CE practices. Further, CE practices are found to develop SSC flexibility with the BDA complementing these flexibilities.

Eco‐efficiency and resource optimization for business strategy and the environment can be achieved by the circular economy (CE) practices in supply chains (SCs). The leather industry is a significant industrial contributor to the economic growth of some countries, but at the same time, it leads to tremendous environmental pollution. This research focuses on the identification and evaluation of critical success factors (CSFs) needed in the business strategy development of CE practices as well as to minimize environmental pollution in leather industry SCs. The CSFs are identified via a comprehensive literature review and are validated by experts' opinions. The validated CSFs are further analyzed using the best–worst method (BWM) and the decision‐making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL). The BWM is used to identify the weights of the CSFs, and DEMATEL is used to determine the cause–effect relationship between the CSFs. The findings show that “leadership and top management commitment” is the most important CSF. Six CSFs are classified as causal towards CE practices: “leadership and top management commitment,” “strong legislation towards CE practices,” “ecological scarcity of resources,” “knowledge of CE practices,” “funding support for R&D from the government,” and “competitor pressure on CE practices.” The findings of this study can help managers in the leather industry implement CE practices in their existing SCs to minimize waste.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of disruptive technologies such as social media, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) on the business models in Saudi Arabia. Thus, the study is set with the view of assessing the probable impacts of disruptive technologies and exploitation of competitive advantage by organizations. Disruptive technologies have been at the forefront of influencing business direction and strategies. Many businesses, particularly those of small or medium size, are confronted with the challenges of budgeting for digitalization, strategic plans, expansion, and other related issues. It is necessary to mount up and gallop with a strategic vision that is supported by the dynamism of the company model that is best suited. More emphasis is placed on exploring how technology can assist corporations to compete within the current existing market environment since the role of technology in assessing the performance of a firm has become relevant. While the government of Saudi Arabia has recently been implementing measures to change the orientation of the economy and shift toward the digital economy with the help of programs such as the National Transformation Program and Saudi Vision 2030, local businesses cautiously approach the implementation of new technologies as the existing market players are afraid of disruption and the costs of integration are high. The study will be significant in determining the best strategies for companies in Saudi Arabia to adopt in order to take advantage of the opportunities presented by disruptive technologies. The method of this paper is based mostly on reviews and employs a qualitative approach more prominently than quantitative methods. This paper’s findings revolve around disruptions, including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT), which are disruptive to Saudi Arabia’s business strategy, significantly influencing the business model. It stresses potential radical reconfigurations within commercial organizations as well as challenges like a lack of awareness and funding.

PurposeThe circular economy (CE) is an evolving subject transitioning from conceptualization to empirical testing. Over the past decade, researchers have done an exhaustive study to understand the concept of CE and its realized values both financially and environmentally on organizations that have traditional business models based on linear consumption. For understanding the transitional phenomena completely, the paper aims to review the current and emerging research trends in CE to ascertain future direction.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted on 91 articles published in the study area during the past decade (2016–2021) in renowned peer-reviewed journals. The criteria set to review literature are based on the following assortment: CE drivers, CE barriers, definitions by different authors, yearly distribution of the publication, research publisher and journals, google citation and methodology used in the selected research articles.FindingsThe study suggests that researchers from the selected years are keen to understand the transition and its critical factors by bringing forward frameworks and incorporating CE with digital technologies. The digital technology implied are Industrial Technology (IR) 4.0, Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Data Analytics to increase organizational and environmental performance. CE researchers need to use empirical testing in different sectors to understand and bring forward more improvised business models and practices according to the dynamics of the industry.Originality/valueThe literature review suggests gaps exist to integrate the micro, meso and macro levels to get CE implementation's system-wide benefits. The study has also identified that many CE frameworks available in the literature for implementation must be empirically tested to yield performance results.

Purpose This study attempts to assess how the textile and apparel (T&A) industry in Bangladesh is influenced by circular economy (CE) practices in terms of achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), with a focus on the moderating influence of competitive intensity (CI) and the mediating effect of I4.0 technologies. It bridges the knowledge gap about how CI and I4.0 technologies may drive CE practices to promote sustainability in the T&A industry. Design/methodology/approach In this study,partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine survey data gathered from Bangladeshi T&A industry professionals, including manufacturing and management experts. Six hypotheses pertaining to direct, mediated and moderated impact were assessed using SmartPLS version 4 software. Findings The results show that attaining the targeted SDGs is significantly aided by CE practices that are pertinent to the T&A industry, such as reduction, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling. Five relevant I4.0 technologies like autonomous robots, cloud computing, cybersecurity, Internet of things and system integration can play a major mediating role in this interaction. Nevertheless, neither the association between CE practices and the SDGs nor the relationship between I4.0 and the SDGs was substantially moderated by CI. Originality/value To support the influence of CE practices on the T&A industry’s SDGs attainment, several outstanding research works have been executed. More precisely, very few research has been performed for Bangladeshi T&A industry. This study makes an effort to quantify the various effects of CE and I4.0 on SDGs that have been validated by CI for the first time.

Amid rising environmental concerns, Industry 4.0 and blockchain technology (BCT) are transforming circular economy (CE) practices and prevailing business models. Recognize the same; this study examines the role of blockchain technology in circular CE practices and their impact on eco‐environmental performance, which influences organizational performance. The study collects data from 404 enterprises located in Chinese and Pakistani territories, involved in cross‐border supply chain operations. Both countries' sample has great relevance due to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which possesses several positive fallouts in terms of technology spillovers across firms. Using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) modeling framework, this study provides three key findings. First, BCT significantly improves the circular economy practices (circular procurement, circular design, recycling, and remanufacturing). Second, CE practices help improve firms' environmental performance and stimulate their financial performance. Third, higher eco‐environmental performance significantly boosts organizational performance. This study sets out the foundations for participating countries/firms that simultaneously achieve financial and sustainable goals by integrating blockchain technology in circular economy practices.

This study analyzes the disruptive impact of combining the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data Analytics on contemporary business models. This research investigates how these technologies use data-driven decision-making, better operational efficiency, and innovative business models across retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics by integrating a review of current literature and evidenced case study examples across industries. Strategic issues to think about when developing a sustainable growth strategy with IoT and Big Data, building competitive advantage in value creation, transformation of market spaces, and return on investment are considered for companies. The findings indicate that the strategic deployment of IoT and Big Data provides room for new service-led business models and personalization in customer experience.

Connecting food supply chains

PurposeFresh and short food supply chains in grocery quick commerce (q-grocery FSFSCs), while valued for swift delivery, face challenges in sustainability, resource efficiency and scalability. This study aims to redesign the last mile of q-grocery FSFSCs by identifying and validating a framework of applicable circular economy (CE) practices. Furthermore, the study assesses the impact of these practices across various sustainability dimensions to understand their level of contribution to sustainable livelihoods and supply chain resilience.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a multi-phase approach. First, an integrative literature review identifies CE practices and strategies. Second, a survey gathers data on the relationship between these practices and strategies and their impact on sustainability. Third, the framework is validated using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method in WarpPLS 8.0. Finally, k-means cluster analysis in Tableau 2019.4 groups CE practices based on their impact across five sustainability dimensions: environmental, economic, social, resource efficiency and scalability.FindingsThe study validates a framework and identifies high-impact CE practices, such as waste reduction, sustainable packaging, sustainable sourcing, route optimization, sustainable processes and customer convenience. Medium-impact practices include energy efficiency, sustainable fleet, resale and redistribution and information flow. Low-impact practices cover composting, reverse logistics and appropriate storage.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings assist q-grocery companies to adopt CE practices and strategies that support sustainable livelihoods and strengthen supply chain resilience while offering policymakers guidance to promote circularity.Originality/valueThis study is unique in the exploration of the intersection of quick commerce, FSFSCs and CE principles, providing actionable insights for sustainability in the q-grocery industry.