A review of circular economy disruption research: insights into industry 4.0 enabled circular economy framework for sustainability during turbulent times

The implementation of the circular economy is negligible and painfully slow due to insufficient proof of tangible benefits and awareness of how to implement it. The current geo-political turbulence has the potential to further slow it down by diverting public sentiment and resources to national security.

This study systematically analyses 74 academic papers using the bibliometric (author co-citation analysis and bibliographic coupling) and content analysis (quality ranking and thematic coding) methods to explore how circular economy disruptions can be implemented and managed efficiently.

It identifies three thematic areas (conceptualisation, components, and challenges) where circular economy disruption research has evolved. Europe’s thought leadership in this research field is evident, as is China’s growing influence in emerging research areas such as circular entrepreneurship. It introduces green innovations and Industry 4.0 as enablers for a circular economy-based, resilient, and sustainable global economy.

This study proposes an Industry 4.0-enabled framework for circular economy disruption in which leadership support, digital infrastructure, and organisational resilience are critical antecedents to adopting Industry 4.0. Stakeholder engagement and consumer perceptions are key components of the proposed framework, while sustainability policies and regulations moderate the effectiveness of Industry 4.0 technologies in achieving a circular economy. The framework’s implementation methodologies include a modular approach accommodating various enterprise scales and regional conditions. By implementing this framework, countries could reduce dependency on volatile supply chains and promote economic resilience through sharing and transferring circular economy know-how and Industry 4.0 technologies.