Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainability in the Digital Product Lifecycle: A Systematic Literature Review

Mariane Bigarelli Ferreira (), Giulihano Luis Feltz Zeni, Guilherme Francisco do Prado, Jovani Taveira Souza, Cassiano Moro Piekarski and Fabio Neves Puglieri
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Mariane Bigarelli Ferreira: Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PPGEP), Sustainable Production System Laboratory (LESP), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Ponta Grossa 84017-220, Brazil
Giulihano Luis Feltz Zeni: Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PPGEP), Sustainable Production System Laboratory (LESP), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Ponta Grossa 84017-220, Brazil
Guilherme Francisco do Prado: Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PPGEP), Sustainable Production System Laboratory (LESP), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Ponta Grossa 84017-220, Brazil
Jovani Taveira Souza: Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PPGEP), Sustainable Production System Laboratory (LESP), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Ponta Grossa 84017-220, Brazil
Cassiano Moro Piekarski: Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PPGEP), Sustainable Production System Laboratory (LESP), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Ponta Grossa 84017-220, Brazil
Fabio Neves Puglieri: Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Engineering (PPGEP), Sustainable Production System Laboratory (LESP), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Ponta Grossa 84017-220, Brazil

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-16

Abstract: This article presents a systematic literature review aimed at identifying challenges and opportunities for integrating sustainability into the digital product lifecycle. The review followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and involved a comprehensive search across three databases—Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect—using structured Boolean queries. A total of 377 records were retrieved, and after duplicate removal and a multi-stage screening process based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 56 peer-reviewed studies were selected for analysis. These studies were examined in relation to how they addressed environmental, social, and economic dimensions throughout the digital product lifecycle and UX/UI design. Key challenges identified include high energy consumption, limited user awareness of environmental impacts, and the exclusion of vulnerable populations from digital solutions. Opportunities include the adoption of sustainable design strategies, the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), co-design practices, and data-driven decision-making tools. The findings were synthesized into a conceptual framework structured across three lifecycle stages—pre-development, development, and post-development—and mapped to six sustainability requirements. This study contributes to the field by aligning digital innovation with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and offering a theoretical foundation for the development of practical frameworks and indicators that support sustainable digital product development.

Keywords: digital products; product lifecycle; sustainability; systematic literature review; sustainable design; software development; triple bottom line (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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