The disruptive action of Industry 4.0 technologies cross-fertilizing Circular Economy throughout society

The Industry 4.0 concept, invariably more intertwined with the Circular Economy paradigm, has been increasingly applied outside the manufacturing domain. As a side-effect, Industry 4.0 technologies are disruptively reshaping, under the threefold Triple Bottom Line perspective, supply chains and different contexts such as innovation management and societal development. The eleven papers published in this special issue aim at contributing to the emerging research stream about the sustainable development of I4.0-CE-driven supply chains. In particular, four main macro-topics emerged: (i) I4.0-driven Circular Supply Chains (CSCs); (ii) Life Cycle Information in CE ecosystems; (iii) Waste management process optimisation; (iv) Drivers, challenges, opportunities, and barriers for I4.0-CE-driven supply chains. In the studies included in this special issue collection, novel conceptual frameworks and methodologies are proposed, and some practical cases are also conducted, promoting relevant advances in the twofold field of I4.0-CE, triggering the green and digital twin transition towards a supply chain and social dimension. Nevertheless, the analysis of the papers constituting the special issue reveals promising research opportunities necessary to investigate and explore this emerging domain in its specific facets. More quantitative studies are needed to understand better the dynamics in CSC, CE ecosystems and Industrial Symbiosis networks. Finally, developing specialised circular and sustainable technologies based on intelligent architectures and adopting data-driven approaches could support the adoption of circular practices not only within the companies but also outside them in the CSC and social dimensions.