Work

Is industy 4.0 the key to sustainable manufacturing? Unravelling the impact of innovation and continuous improvement in emerging economies

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study delves into the evolving influence of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies on Business Sustainability (BUSU)-driven Organisation innovation (ORIN)in manufacturing, focusing on emerging economies like Oman. While Industry 4.0 holds vast potential, the pathways it affects at BUSU remain underexplored. Our research aims to fill this void by analyzing the combined effects of ORIN and continuous improvement (COIM) approaches on BUSU. Specifically, we investigate how the adoption of I4.0 amplifies these consequences. We apply structural equation modeling (SEM) to the data collected from two hundred manufacturing companies operating in various industries. We aim to dissect the complex links between technological competence, process refinement, and BUSU among these companies. The findings highlight an apparent synergy, indicating that businesses that utilise innovation and continuous improvement strategies report significantly improved economic and environmental performance. In addition, the results of our research indicate that the implementation of Industry 4.0 increases the connection between ORIN efforts and BUSU, establishing it as a particularly important mediator. This work contributes to a deeper theoretical understanding of the role that I4.0 plays in environmentally responsible manufacturing and provides strategic insights for industry leaders and policymakers engaged in cultivating industrial ecosystems that are both resilient and sustainable.

Source: Multidisciplinary Reviews

DOI: 10.31893/multirev.2026108

Authors: Sarfaraz Javed, Uvesh Husain, Shariq Mohammed, Mohammad Shahfaraz Khan, Wafa Jaouadi, Sajjad Nazir