Development and implementation of a roadmapping methodology to foster twin transition at manufacturing plant level

Abstract

Climate change and resource depletion are reshaping economies, compelling governments, society, and businesses to seek solutions that could meet both economic and environmental needs. Due to their relevance to environmental damage, manufacturers are pushed to achieve a sustainable transition in a relatively short time. In this scenario, Industry 4.0 reportedly act as a facilitator of the processes thus leading to the concept of Twin Transition (TT) or digitally-enabled sustainable transition. However, even if literature is aware of the role that I4.0 plays in enhancing sustainability, companies still face a multitude of barriers that hinder the actual implementation of such transition. This paper aims at proposing a new roadmapping methodology to guide manufacturing companies toward TT and link the strategic goals to operations activities. The methodology originates from both an analysis of the barriers faced by manufacturers found in literature and the empirical observations of the authors throughout their research with manufacturing firms. The methodology was implemented in an application case involving 3 independent plants of a multinational company operating in the Food & Beverage sector. The analysis of barriers was performed via a systematic literature review that allowed to identify 39 barriers clustered as Micro (single firm), Meso (network) and Macro (ecosystem). The results show that the methodology applies to single manufacturing plants, and it addresses challenges at micro and meso levels.