Transitioning to Sustainable Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

In the past, sustainability was the doctrine of economics, which assumes a quality of life at the level allowed by the current development of civilisation. A sustainable economy (including industry) should balance economic growth, environmental protection, quality of life, and human health. It is not only about the natural environment, but also the artificial—i.e., man-made (as in Chicago School’s work on human ecology). The doctrine of sustainable development strives for social justice by using environmental projects for higher efficiency. The priority is to set ecological standards for preserving the homeostasis of the ecosystem. Modern business is becoming more digital and intelligent. Enterprises implement new technologies of the fourth industrial revolution in the sustainable environment. Sustainable Industry 4.0 is a new concept for discussion by scientists and business. This concept has been gaining interest among scientists and practitioners in recent years because there is new information about Industry 4.0. Factories are becoming smarter, more efficient, safer, and more environmentally friendly by linking and integrating production technologies and devices, information and communication systems, and data and services in network infrastructures. New business models with cyber-physical systems (CPSs) are being built, but sustainability must not be forgotten in these models. Transitioning to Sustainable Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure is part of MDPI’s Open Access book series, Transitioning to Sustainability, which aims to add to the conversation about regional and global sustainable development according to the 17 SDGs.