Implementing industry 4.0 in the manufacturing sector: Circular economy as a societal solution

The fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0 (I4.0), has disrupted the notions of economic transactions, value generation and appropriation to become a central interest among academics and practitioners. I4.0 is predicted to create new frontiers for society’s sustainable growth by encouraging the development of a circular economy. However, significant obstacles prevent its widespread application. Therefore, this research investigates the broader social problems associated with the implementation of I4.0 and the potential solutions. The research takes the form of a comprehensive and systematic literature review that uses bibliometric analysis to consider papers published between 2011 and 2020. Fifty-two research articles from 32 different journals were thoroughly reviewed to fulfil the research objective. This innovative and novel study explores I4.0 technologies in terms of the potential to solve societal problems, the associated social challenges they present and the related opportunities. The paper concludes by discussing possible future research directions.