Industry 4.0-enabled sustainable manufacturing: current practices, barriers and strategies

Purpose This paper proposes strategies for adopting Industry 4.0 in achieving sustainable manufacturing, by overcoming barriers in the Sri Lankan manufacturing sector. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model of sustainable manufacturing and Industry 4.0 was proposed based on a comprehensive literature review and validated through experts' inputs. The model was illustrated using three case studies to assess the relationships between sustainable manufacturing and Industry 4.0 in the Sri Lankan manufacturing context. Furthermore, possible strategies were proposed to overcome current barriers identified from case studies. Findings The case studies showcase that there is a considerable gap in Industry 4.0-enabled sustainable manufacturing in the Sri Lankan manufacturing sector due to several barriers. Thus, experts' knowledge-based strategies to overcome those barriers are proposed. Research limitations/implications The conceptual model provides a holistic view of maturity levels of sustainable manufacturing measures directly connected with Industry 4.0 technologies. The study was limited to investigating the application of Industry 4.0 for sustainable manufacturing in leading apparel manufacturing organisations in Sri Lanka. Practical implications The conceptual model can be used as a framework to guide practitioners in implementing Industry 4.0-enabled sustainable manufacturing. The proposed strategies in addressing barriers to Industry 4.0 adoption towards sustainable manufacturing can be directly applied to achieving better sustainable manufacturing performance. Originality/value This study is an informative guide to encourage the Sri Lankan manufacturing industry to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies in achieving sustainable manufacturing, using the knowledge of relationships between Industry 4.0 and three dimensions of sustainable manufacturing, possible barriers and strategies.