The Role of Industry 4.0 in Sustainable Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review

In recent years, companies have increasingly turned to Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies to enhance supply chain performance while meeting sustainability requirements. Despite growing interest, the specific mechanisms through which I4.0 supports Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) remain insufficiently explored. This study addresses this gap by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR), following the PRISMA protocol, of peer-reviewed articles published between 2019 and 2024. The review identified 20 high-quality studies that investigate the interplay between digital technologies and SSCM. The findings show that I4.0 technologies, particularly the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain, contribute to sustainability through four mechanisms: data acquisition, data processing, performance monitoring, and decision support. These mechanisms enhance environmental sustainability by reducing emissions and waste, strengthen social sustainability by improving working conditions and stakeholder trust, and support economic sustainability by lowering costs, improving forecasting, and increasing resilience. The study contributes theoretically by bridging the literature on I4.0 and SSCM, clarifying how digitalization enables sustainability, and highlighting contextual moderators such as organizational culture, IT maturity, and supplier readiness. From a managerial perspective, the results emphasize the importance of aligning digital transformation with sustainability strategies, engaging suppliers, and implementing robust data governance. Overall, the review demonstrates that I4.0 is not merely a technological upgrade but a transformative enabler of sustainable, resilient, and competitive supply chains.