An analysis of the enablers effective on the implementation of the circular economy and Industry 4.0 in the supply chain

Circular economy and Industry 4.0 are concepts that have garnered significant attention from businesses and universities in recent years. They are currently being promoted by many governments worldwide. The synergy between these two concepts offers the potential to move towards a more sustainable society and address the environmental and economic challenges related to managing organizational operations. This research aims to analyze the factors enabling the implementation of circular economy and Industry 4.0 in the supply chain of Yazd glass factories. In the initial phase of the research, a review of various articles was conducted using the meta-synthesis method to identify and categorize relevant enablers. This process resulted in the identification of 15 enablers categorized into four dimensions: economic, human resources, organizational management, and infrastructure. In the subsequent step, the Fuzzy DEMATEL technique was employed to examine the cause-and-effect relationships. The findings indicate that, within the economic dimension, the most influential enablers are "budget allocation for the implementation of circular economy and Industry 4.0" and "stimulation of demand for circular products." In the human resources dimension, "training and development of employees" and "organizational culture" play crucial roles. In the organizational-management dimension, "support and commitment of senior management" and "cooperation and networking with supply chain partners (industrial coexistence)" are highly significant. Lastly, within the infrastructure dimension, "development of information technology standards and infrastructures" and "security and protection of intellectual property rights" are considered the most effective enablers for the implementation of circular economy and Industry 4.0 in the Yazd glass factories. The results indicate that the Ardakan glass factories of Yazd should prioritize attention to economic and infrastructural enablers when implementing circular economy and Industry 4.0.