The paper presents how mechatronic engineering—understood as the integrated design of mechanical systems with electronics, control, and software—can support sustainable development goals. Beyond its early drivers (efficiency and quality) and Japanese origins, mechatronics has evolved globally into a design paradigm that shifts functionality from hardware to information, enabling higher resource productivity over a product’s life cycle. We synthesize United Nations frameworks on sustainability to outline where mechatronic strategies (integration, sensing, control, and software-defined functionality) contribute most: energy efficiency, responsible production, resilient infrastructure, and education. Methodologically, the paper provides a historical and conceptual synthesis linking mechatronics to sustainability outcomes; presents a national-level organizational initiative (the Romanian National Mechatronic Platform) as a coordination mechanism for education–research–industry; and offers two technical illustrations: a portable five-bar mechatronic platform that demonstrates software-based reconfiguration, and a comparative discussion of compliant versus classical mechanisms, including the role of additive manufacturing in reducing part count, material waste, and maintenance. The results are a structured mapping between mechatronic capabilities and sustainability targets, design implications that prioritize information links and control architectures over material- and energy-intensive solutions, and guidance on aligning educational infrastructure with these aims. We argue that mechatronics, when embedded in products, processes, and institutions, can measurably advance sustainable society development.