IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/bstrat/v31y2022i5p2171-2192.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A framework of digital technologies for the circular economy: Digital functions and mechanisms

Author

Listed:
  • Qinglan Liu
  • Adriana Hofmann Trevisan
  • Miying Yang
  • Janaina Mascarenhas

Abstract

Digital technology is regarded as providing a promising means of moving production and consumption towards the circular economy. However, it is still unclear which functions of digital technologies are most useful to improving circularity, and how these functions could be used to enhance different circular economy strategies. This paper aims to address this knowledge gap by conducting a systematic literature review. After examining 174 papers, creating 782 original codes and 259 second‐round codes, the study identifies 13 critical functions of digital technologies which are most relevant to circular economy strategies. The paper then proposes a framework which reveals seven mechanisms of how these digital functions can enhance different circular economy strategies. The framework also reveals which combinations of the digital functions and circular economy strategies have already been studied extensively as well as where there may be gaps. This indicates which digital functions are more mature in terms of possible implementation for circular economy as well as what missing links there are in the empirical and theoretical research. The study advances the synergies between digital technologies and the circular economy paradigm through the lens of digital functions. The proposed framework and mechanisms build a theoretical foundation for future research, and we highlight five research areas for further studies. This study also provides a structured way for managers to explore the appropriate digital functions for their CE strategies, so as to identify required digital technologies and new value creation through digital functions.

Suggested Citation

  • Qinglan Liu & Adriana Hofmann Trevisan & Miying Yang & Janaina Mascarenhas, 2022. "A framework of digital technologies for the circular economy: Digital functions and mechanisms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 2171-2192, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:31:y:2022:i:5:p:2171-2192
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.3015
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3015
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/bse.3015?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fernando E. Garcia-Muiña & Rocío González-Sánchez & Anna Maria Ferrari & Davide Settembre-Blundo, 2018. "The Paradigms of Industry 4.0 and Circular Economy as Enabling Drivers for the Competitiveness of Businesses and Territories: The Case of an Italian Ceramic Tiles Manufacturing Company," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(12), pages 1-31, December.
    2. Kristoffersen, Eivind & Blomsma, Fenna & Mikalef, Patrick & Li, Jingyue, 2020. "The smart circular economy: A digital-enabled circular strategies framework for manufacturing companies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 241-261.
    3. Steve Evans & Doroteya Vladimirova & Maria Holgado & Kirsten Van Fossen & Miying Yang & Elisabete A. Silva & Claire Y. Barlow, 2017. "Business Model Innovation for Sustainability: Towards a Unified Perspective for Creation of Sustainable Business Models," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 597-608, July.
    4. Vivian S. C. Tunn & Ellis A. Van den Hende & Nancy M. P. Bocken & Jan P. L. Schoormans, 2021. "Consumer adoption of access‐based product‐service systems: The influence of duration of use and type of product," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(6), pages 2796-2813, September.
    5. Bag, Surajit & Pretorius, Jan Ham Christiaan & Gupta, Shivam & Dwivedi, Yogesh K., 2021. "Role of institutional pressures and resources in the adoption of big data analytics powered artificial intelligence, sustainable manufacturing practices and circular economy capabilities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    6. Simone Franzò & Andrea Urbinati & Davide Chiaroni & Vittorio Chiesa, 2021. "Unravelling the design process of business models from linear to circular: An empirical investigation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(6), pages 2758-2772, September.
    7. Rehman, Muhammad Habib ur & Chang, Victor & Batool, Aisha & Wah, Teh Ying, 2016. "Big data reduction framework for value creation in sustainable enterprises," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 917-928.
    8. Rajput, Shubhangini & Singh, Surya Prakash, 2019. "Connecting circular economy and industry 4.0," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 98-113.
    9. Qinglan Liu & Longjian Yang & Miying Yang, 2021. "Digitalisation for Water Sustainability: Barriers to Implementing Circular Economy in Smart Water Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-28, October.
    10. Basso, Bruno & Jones, James W. & Antle, John & Martinez-Feria, Rafael A. & Verma, Brahm, 2021. "Enabling circularity in grain production systems with novel technologies and policy," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    11. Jessica Rossi & Augusto Bianchini & Patricia Guarnieri, 2020. "Circular Economy Model Enhanced by Intelligent Assets from Industry 4.0: The Proposition of an Innovative Tool to Analyze Case Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-22, September.
    12. Ramesh Subramoniam & Erik Sundin & Suresh Subramoniam & Donald Huisingh, 2021. "Riding the Digital Product Life Cycle Waves towards a Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-23, August.
    13. Wisdom Kanda & Martin Geissdoerfer & Olof Hjelm, 2021. "From circular business models to circular business ecosystems," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(6), pages 2814-2829, September.
    14. Paolo Rosa & Claudio Sassanelli & Andrea Urbinati & Davide Chiaroni & Sergio Terzi, 2020. "Assessing relations between Circular Economy and Industry 4.0: a systematic literature review," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(6), pages 1662-1687, March.
    15. Andrew Whitmore & Anurag Agarwal & Li Xu, 2015. "The Internet of Things—A survey of topics and trends," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 261-274, April.
    16. Ahmed Zainul Abideen & Jaafar Pyeman & Veera Pandiyan Kaliani Sundram & Ming-Lang Tseng & Shahryar Sorooshian, 2021. "Leveraging Capabilities of Technology into a Circular Supply Chain to Build Circular Business Models: A State-of-the-Art Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-26, August.
    17. Nesrin Ada & Yigit Kazancoglu & Muruvvet Deniz Sezer & Cigdem Ede-Senturk & Idil Ozer & Mangey Ram, 2021. "Analyzing Barriers of Circular Food Supply Chains and Proposing Industry 4.0 Solutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-29, June.
    18. Chris Turner & Mariale Moreno & Luigi Mondini & Konstantinos Salonitis & Fiona Charnley & Ashutosh Tiwari & Windo Hutabarat, 2019. "Sustainable Production in a Circular Economy: A Business Model for Re-Distributed Manufacturing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-19, August.
    19. Paula Morella & María Pilar Lambán & Jesús Royo & Juan Carlos Sánchez & Lisbeth del Carmen Ng Corrales, 2020. "Development of a New Green Indicator and Its Implementation in a Cyber–Physical System for a Green Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-19, October.
    20. Ercan Oztemel & Samet Gursev, 2020. "Literature review of Industry 4.0 and related technologies," Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 127-182, January.
    21. Maria Vetrova, 2021. "Closed Product Life Cycle as a Basis of the Circular Economy," GATR Journals jber198, Global Academy of Training and Research (GATR) Enterprise.
    22. Korhonen, Jouni & Honkasalo, Antero & Seppälä, Jyri, 2018. "Circular Economy: The Concept and its Limitations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 37-46.
    23. Okechukwu Okorie & Konstantinos Salonitis & Fiona Charnley & Mariale Moreno & Christopher Turner & Ashutosh Tiwari, 2018. "Digitisation and the Circular Economy: A Review of Current Research and Future Trends," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-31, November.
    24. Anna Lütje & Martina Willenbacher & Martin Engelmann & Christian Kunisch & Volker Wohlgemuth, 2020. "Exploring the System Dynamics of Industrial Symbiosis (IS) with Machine Learning (ML) Techniques—A Framework for a Hybrid-Approach," Progress in IS, in: Rüdiger Schaldach & Karl-Heinz Simon & Jens Weismüller & Volker Wohlgemuth (ed.), Advances and New Trends in Environmental Informatics, pages 117-130, Springer.
    25. Gláucya Daú & Annibal Scavarda & Luiz Felipe Scavarda & Vivianne Julianelli Taveira Portugal, 2019. "The Healthcare Sustainable Supply Chain 4.0: The Circular Economy Transition Conceptual Framework with the Corporate Social Responsibility Mirror," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-19, June.
    26. Divya Tiwari & Jill Miscandlon & Ashutosh Tiwari & Geraint W. Jewell, 2021. "A Review of Circular Economy Research for Electric Motors and the Role of Industry 4.0 Technologies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-19, August.
    27. Yang, Miying & Fu, Mingtao & Zhang, Zihan, 2021. "The adoption of digital technologies in supply chains: Drivers, process and impact," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    28. José Salvador da Motta Reis & Maximilian Espuny & Thaís Vieira Nunhes & Nilo Antonio de Souza Sampaio & Raine Isaksson & Fernando Celso de Campos & Otávio José de Oliveira, 2021. "Striding towards Sustainability: A Framework to Overcome Challenges and Explore Opportunities through Industry 4.0," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-28, May.
    29. Xiaoxia Chen & Mélanie Despeisse & Björn Johansson, 2020. "Environmental Sustainability of Digitalization in Manufacturing: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-31, December.
    30. Gupta, Shivam & Chen, Haozhe & Hazen, Benjamin T. & Kaur, Sarabjot & Santibañez Gonzalez, Ernesto D.R., 2019. "Circular economy and big data analytics: A stakeholder perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 466-474.
    31. Wiebke Reim & David Sjödin & Vinit Parida, 2021. "Circular business model implementation: A capability development case study from the manufacturing industry," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(6), pages 2745-2757, September.
    32. Cristina Ciliberto & Katarzyna Szopik‐Depczyńska & Małgorzata Tarczyńska‐Łuniewska & Alessandro Ruggieri & Giuseppe Ioppolo, 2021. "Enabling the Circular Economy transition: a sustainable lean manufacturing recipe for Industry 4.0," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3255-3272, November.
    33. Lange, Steffen & Pohl, Johanna & Santarius, Tilman, 2020. "Digitalization and energy consumption. Does ICT reduce energy demand?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    34. Emilia Ingemarsdotter & Ella Jamsin & Gerd Kortuem & Ruud Balkenende, 2019. "Circular Strategies Enabled by the Internet of Things—A Framework and Analysis of Current Practice," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-37, October.
    35. Will McDowall & Yong Geng & Beijia Huang & Eva Barteková & Raimund Bleischwitz & Serdar Türkeli & René Kemp & Teresa Doménech, 2017. "Circular Economy Policies in China and Europe," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 21(3), pages 651-661, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Adriana Neligan & Rupert J. Baumgartner & Martin Geissdoerfer & Josef‐Peter Schöggl, 2023. "Circular disruption: Digitalisation as a driver of circular economy business models," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 1175-1188, March.
    2. Chauhan, Chetna & Parida, Vinit & Dhir, Amandeep, 2022. "Linking circular economy and digitalisation technologies: A systematic literature review of past achievements and future promises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    3. Kristoffersen, Eivind & Blomsma, Fenna & Mikalef, Patrick & Li, Jingyue, 2020. "The smart circular economy: A digital-enabled circular strategies framework for manufacturing companies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 241-261.
    4. Dwivedi, Ashish & Moktadir, Md. Abdul & Chiappetta Jabbour, Charbel José & de Carvalho, Daniel Estima, 2022. "Integrating the circular economy and industry 4.0 for sustainable development: Implications for responsible footwear production in a big data-driven world," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    5. Luoma, Päivi & Penttinen, Esko & Tapio, Petri & Toppinen, Anne, 2022. "Future images of data in circular economy for textiles," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    6. Kristoffersen, Eivind & Mikalef, Patrick & Blomsma, Fenna & Li, Jingyue, 2021. "Towards a business analytics capability for the circular economy," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    7. Usama Awan & Robert Sroufe & Muhammad Shahbaz, 2021. "Industry 4.0 and the circular economy: A literature review and recommendations for future research," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 2038-2060, May.
    8. Kristoffersen, Eivind & Mikalef, Patrick & Blomsma, Fenna & Li, Jingyue, 2021. "The effects of business analytics capability on circular economy implementation, resource orchestration capability, and firm performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    9. Behl, Abhishek & Singh, Ramandeep & Pereira, Vijay & Laker, Benjamin, 2023. "Analysis of Industry 4.0 and circular economy enablers: A step towards resilient sustainable operations management," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    10. Govindan, Kannan & Kannan, Devika & Jørgensen, Thomas Ballegård & Nielsen, Tim Straarup, 2022. "Supply Chain 4.0 performance measurement: A systematic literature review, framework development, and empirical evidence," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    11. Abderahman Rejeb & Karim Rejeb & Suhaiza Zailani & Yasanur Kayikci & John G. Keogh, 2023. "Examining Knowledge Diffusion in the Circular Economy Domain: a Main Path Analysis," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 125-166, March.
    12. Luca Fraccascia & Ilaria Giannoccaro & Abhishek Agarwal & Erik G. Hansen, 2021. "Business models for the circular economy: Empirical advances and future directions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(6), pages 2741-2744, September.
    13. Zain Anwar Ali & Mahreen Zain & M. Salman Pathan & Peter Mooney, 2024. "Contributions of artificial intelligence for circular economy transition leading toward sustainability: an explorative study in agriculture and food industries of Pakistan," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 19131-19175, August.
    14. Carlos Andrés Tavera Romero & Diego F. Castro & Jesús Hamilton Ortiz & Osamah Ibrahim Khalaf & Miguel A. Vargas, 2021. "Synergy between Circular Economy and Industry 4.0: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-18, April.
    15. Fenna Blomsma & Mike Tennant & Ritsuko Ozaki, 2023. "Making sense of circular economy: Understanding the progression from idea to action," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 1059-1084, March.
    16. Arijit Bhattacharya & Shefali Srivastava & Abhijit Majumdar, 2024. "Circular supply chains in manufacturing—Quo vadis? Accomplishments, challenges and future opportunities," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4397-4423, July.
    17. Ahmadova, Gozal & Delgado-Márquez, Blanca L. & Pedauga, Luis E. & Leyva-de la Hiz, Dante I., 2022. "Too good to be true: The inverted U-shaped relationship between home-country digitalization and environmental performance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    18. Ashish Dwivedi & Sanjoy Kumar Paul, 2022. "A framework for digital supply chains in the era of circular economy: Implications on environmental sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1249-1274, May.
    19. Arash Najmaei & Zahra Sadeghinejad, 2023. "Green and sustainable business models: historical roots, growth trajectory, conceptual architecture and an agenda for future research—A bibliometric review of green and sustainable business models," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(2), pages 957-999, February.
    20. Alessandra Neri & Marta Negri & Enrico Cagno & Simone Franzò & Vikas Kumar & Tommaso Lampertico & Carlo Andrea Bassani, 2023. "The role of digital technologies in supporting the implementation of circular economy practices by industrial small and medium enterprises," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4693-4718, November.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:31:y:2022:i:5:p:2171-2192. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0836 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.