Industry 4.0 Driven Circular Economy—An Introduction

The intersection of Industry 4.0 and the circular economy at the micro level (products and firms) opens a new and exciting area of study in product life cycle management, which draws from a wide range of academic disciplines. The next generation of engineers and scientists should be ready to take the lead in improving the manufacturing and supply chain's sustainability through technological means. Considering the new paradigms of sustainability, manufacturing, and the move to digital technology, it is essential to create tools and procedures for enhanced management of the product throughout its life cycle. This chapter discusses the application of Industry 4.0 technologies in the circular economy. Examples from AI, AR/VR, and collaborative robots are provided.