Industry 4.0 at the Service of Product Sustainability

Products have been identified as having shorter lifetimes, a phenomenon sometimes also called planned obsolescence, especially when product lifetime reduction is deliberately done by producers. This chapter draws on a growing body of knowledge suggesting that several key technologies of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) show great promises for extending product lifetimes. Drawing on the product lifetimes extension business model (PLEBM) framework, an exploratory study involving 30 informants via individual semi-structured interviews examined the contribution of four key technologies of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), including additive manufacturing, Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) to extend product lifetimes. The findings show that the contributions are fourfold. First, I4.0 improves product design through better planning, facilitated prototyping, and the better meeting of user needs. Second, production tends to improve due to the conjoint action of a better control of operations, a reduction of errors, and the manufacturing of templates. Third, the technologies are particularly well-suited to improve the maintenance and upkeep of products by conducting correction actions, performing preventive maintenance, and updating products. Finally, there are also a few limitations worth mentioning in that process including the issues related to the properties of the material, especially for additive manufacturing, consumers’ behavior to renew consumption, and key barriers to entry such as cost, time, or ease of use.