Work

Industry 4.0: How it is defined from a sociotechnical perspective and how much sustainability it includes – A literature review

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: Industry 4.0 has had a strong influence on the debate on the digitalization of industrial processes, despite being criticized for lacking a proper definition. However, Industry 4.0 might offer a huge chance to align the goals of a sustainable development with the ongoing digital transformation in industrial development. The main contribution of this paper is therefore twofold. We provide a de-facto definition of the concept “Industry 4.0” from a sociotechnical perspective based on its most often cited key features, as well as a thorough review of how far the concept of sustainability is incorporated in it.

Source: Journal of Cleaner Production

DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120856

Authors: Grischa Beier, André Ullrich, Silke Niehoff, Malte Reißig, Matthias Habich

Institutions: Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ, University of Potsdam

Language: English

Topic: Digital Transformation in Industry

Subfield: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900