Assessing the role of big data and the Internet of things on the transition to circular economy: part I: an extension of the ReSOLVE framework proposal through a literature review

The debate about circular economy (CE) is increasingly present in the strategic agenda of organisations around the world, being driven by government agencies and general population pressures, or by organisations’ own vision for sustainable future. This is due in part to the increasing possibility of turning original theoretical CE proposals into real economically viable initiatives, now possible with modern technology applications such as big data and the internet of things (IoT). Information technology (IT) professionals have been called upon to incorporate technology projects into their strategic plans to support their organisations’ transition to CE, but a structured framework with the necessary IT capabilities still lacks. This study focuses on taking the first step towards this path, by extending the technology attributes present on the existing Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) Regenerate, Share, Optimise, Loop, Virtualise and Exchange (ReSOLVE) framework. The research was conducted based on an extensive literature review through 226 articles retrieved from Scopus® and Web of ScienceTM databases, which were triangulated, validated and complemented with content analysis using the ‘R’ statistical tool, grey literature research and inputs from specialists. Part I describes the introduction and methods used in this study.Indisponível

Assessing the role of big data and the Internet of things on the transition to circular economy: part II: an extension of the ReSOLVE framework proposal through a literature review

This paper presents the main findings of a literature-based study of circular economy (CE) extending the technology attributes present on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) Regenerate, Share, Optimise, Loop, Virtualise and Exchange (ReSOLVE) framework. The introduction and methods were presented in Part I (1). Part II concludes that there are 39 capabilities grouped into six elementary CE principles and five action groups, with public administration being the most interested sector, forming the CE information technology (IT) capabilities framework. It is expected the framework can be used as a diagnostic tool to allow organisations to evaluate their technological gaps and plan their IT investments to support the transition to CE.Indisponível

The role of Industry 4.0 technologies in the transition to a circular economy: a practice perspective

AbstractCircular Economy (CE) is critical to the United Nations 2030 agenda for sustainable development. This transition can be fostered by technologies from Industry 4.0 (I40), one of the main engines for digital transformation. Science has already documented models, theoretical frameworks, and case studies linking CE and I40 together. However, the research agenda still needs to address a gap regarding how practitioners use these technologies to pursue circularity. Based on a practitioner’s perspective, this article aims to understand how I40 technologies can support the transition to a CE. We distributed an open-ended survey and received 361 responses from organizations in 37 countries. This sample resulted in 154 usable records that were examined through content analysis. We identified a field-validated list of 31 information-technology (IT) capabilities, revealing that most initiatives are reactive – focused on reducing waste and recycling – rather than proactive. This article contributes to research to identify new IT capabilities for CE that emerge from practice and to provide a structured way for organizations to pursue circularity