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Application of digital technologies for sustainable product management in a circular economy: A review
Author(s) -
Rusch Magdalena,
Schöggl JosefPeter,
Baumgartner Rupert J.
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
business strategy and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.123
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1099-0836
pISSN - 0964-4733
DOI - 10.1002/bse.3099
Subject(s) - circular economy , digital economy , product (mathematics) , usability , product lifecycle , process management , computer science , business model , business , environmental economics , management science , new product development , economics , marketing , mathematics , ecology , geometry , human–computer interaction , world wide web , biology
Abstract Digital technologies (DTs), such as the Internet of Things, big data, artificial intelligence, or blockchain, are considered as enablers for a more sustainable and circular economy. So far, literature on these topics has mostly focused on specific DTs and subareas of sustainable product management (SPM). The aim of this paper is to provide a more comprehensive overview of current and potential examples of DT applications in SPM (e.g., product design/assessment, supply chain management, and business models). The collected examples ( n = 146) were analyzed based on a systematic literature review, using quantitative and qualitative content analysis. Deductive and inductive analyses of the examples revealed the potential of DTs in terms of their usability along the product life cycle, their role as enablers for circular economy strategies and in specific SPM activities. DT application often entails only incremental improvements, for example, increased efficiency of existing processes, with more radical forms of improvement remaining relatively scarce. There is clear room for greater adoption and optimization of DTs, in various areas of SPM, so as to accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy.