The Economic Aspect of Digital Sustainability: A Systematic Review

Livio Cricelli and Serena Strazzullo
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Livio Cricelli: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
Serena Strazzullo: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: In recent years, sustainability and Industry 4.0 have become crucial aspects of the global economy. Numerous studies focus on the link between environmental aspects of sustainability and Industry 4.0. On the contrary, few studies address the issue of the integration of economic sustainability and digital technologies. This paper aims to fill this gap through a systematic analysis of the literature. In particular, 32 articles were selected and following a descriptive analysis to evaluate the evolution of the theme, a content analysis was performed. The findings of this study highlight and categorize the main sustainability metrics associated with digital technologies. Specifically, the digitalization process enhances the connection of products and factories, the value chain and users to achieve a production cycle as sustainable as possible. The new technologies developed allow companies to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, increase the market share, reduce energy waste, recover and reuse the material, etc. Finally, managerial and academic contributions were identified.

Keywords: Industry 4.0; smart manufacturing; smart production; economic sustainability; financial sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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