Future applications of artificial intelligence in smart manufacturing: a bibliometric approach

Gordana Zeba, Marina Dabić and Tugrul U. Daim

Chapter 6 in Handbook of Technological Forecasting and Roadmapping, 2026, pp 110-151 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Our study aims to determine the intellectual, conceptual, and social structure of research on the application of artificial intelligence in manufacturing in the context of Industry 4.0, and to define future research directions on this topic. Based on the above objective, the main research question is: What is the current state and what are the future research directions in the application of artificial intelligence in manufacturing? The research methodology consists of three phases: data collection and processing, bibliometric analysis (descriptive analysis and science mapping), and interpretation of results. The analysis is based on data from the citation databases of the Web of Science platform. The bibliometric methods used are co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, and co-occurrence analysis. The results of this study are the identified intellectual structure (knowledge base and research fronts), and the social and conceptual structure of research on the application of artificial intelligence in smart manufacturing. Based on the results of the bibliometric analysis, we gain insights into the research foci (current research directions) and potential research directions related to Industry 5.0, sustainability, circular economy, green policies, especially in smart agriculture, the development of new nanomaterials and nanotechnology for smart sensor systems, and research on the application of artificial intelligence in additive manufacturing (3D printing).

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Smart Manufacturing; Bibliometric Analysis; Future Research Directions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035330843
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