Creative Commons

In the manufacturing sector that constantly is evolving and more and more needs emerge, in combination with the constant technology upgrade, firms try to find solutions to be more sustainable. In the search of company sustainability,the opportunity of interaction with different business models has been analyzed and showed promising results. A business model that has been applied with success in the implementation of new technologies, is the Circular Economy model.Circular Economy and firm sustainability are two important factors, that will influence a lot the business competitiveness in the future. The methods of the implementation of sustainability into industrial procedures, include the redesign of production processes with the purpose to reduce the environmental impact, by creating eco-friendly products and reconfiguring their business models. These manufacturing adjustments require the commitment and participation of various stakeholder groups and the industries can fully remodel the supply chains, targeting at circularity and efficiency of resources. Evolution in technologies as the Internet of Things(IoT) and smart industries help a lot this transition in the processes. In this dissertation we will explore the relationship between the Industry 4.0 and circular economy models by analyzing the drivers,enablers and barriers of these procedures.The transition from a linear economy to a circular one, indicates how the principles like reusing, recycling and reducing can influence the sustainability of businesses in the economic, environmental and social sectors.