Industry 4.0‐Enabled Circular Economy: Empirical Evidence and Strategic Roadmap for Manufacturing and Service Sectors

This study examines how Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies can strengthen circular economy ( CE ) implementation in manufacturing and service organizations. Although recent studies discuss CE –I4.0 integration, empirical evidence comparing sectors and mapping technologies to specific CE lifecycle stages remains limited. Using an exploratory sequential mixed‐method design, the study first refined the factor set through a literature‐based review and 439 qualitative responses, and then validated and prioritized the factors using 392 quantitative survey responses from manufacturing and service organizations across 12 countries. NVivo coding, mean ranking, Mann–Whitney U tests, and Fisher's exact tests were applied to analyze enablers, barriers, benefits, tools and techniques, and technology adoption patterns. The results show that top management support is the strongest enabler (mean = 6.23), lack of a clear strategic plan is the leading barrier (mean = 5.48), and the most salient benefits are resource efficiency and waste reduction (mean = 5.69), supply chain collaboration (mean = 5.65), and digitally enabled waste management (mean = 5.62). Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, and Automation emerge as the most influential technologies across CE stages, with Automation dominant in production and Big Data Analytics/Automation jointly dominant in waste management. The study contributes a sector‐sensitive CE –I4.0 roadmap that links empirical factor priorities, lifecycle stages, and stakeholder actions to support SDG 2030 and Net Zero 2050 pathways.