From Sustainable Production to Smart Building Management: How to Develop a Comprehensive Sustainability Concept for a Learning Factory

With growing environmental awareness due to stringent regulations, increased consumer interest, and the growing need to combat climate change, manufacturing companies are prioritizing reducing their carbon footprint. As a result, companies are transforming operations to meet sustainability targets. In response, learning factories need to refine their portfolios to provide holistic, sustainability-focused technology innovation and learning programs. Our research uses a case study to illustrate and discuss such a transformation, drawing on the example of McKinsey’s Innovation & Learning Center Venice. The learning factory, which previously focused on lean and digital manufacturing, now offers visitors a comprehensive sustainability experience through sustainability-focused technology applications in manufacturing and related functions in a smart building. Our case study findings and visitor feedback suggest that learning factories need to embed sustainability-related technologies not only in manufacturing, but along the entire value chain to authentically demonstrate potential solutions to real-world challenges. Expanding the learning curriculum and adopting sustainable practices beyond the shopfloor provides additional credibility. Our article contributes to the learning factory research by presenting an end-to-end learning factory with a holistic sustainability portfolio, co-developed with clients to meet future visitors’ needs. This can serve as a blueprint for learning factories looking to incorporate further sustainability elements into their programs.