The intensifying global call for sustainable industrial practices has underscored the crucial intersection between energy efficiency and environmental management within industrial engineering. This research topic seeks to advance the field by spotlighting emerging strategies, cutting-edge technologies, and innovative methodologies that collectively enable the optimization of energy usage, reduction of environmental impacts, and promotion of sustainability within industrial systems. Key areas of interest include, but are not limited to: o Energy-Efficient Manufacturing Systems: Research and development in process design, machinery optimization, and production line innovation aimed at minimizing energy consumption while maintaining or enhancing productivity and product quality. o Industrial Waste and Emission Reduction: Methods and frameworks for reducing industrial pollutants including emissions, effluents, and solid waste. This includes circular economy approaches, sustainable resource management, and eco-friendly production practices. o Renewable Energy Integration: Design, modeling, and deployment of renewable energy solutions in industrial settings—such as hybrid renewables, microgrids, and integration of intermittent sources—addressing technical, economic, and operational challenges. o Digitalization for Sustainability: Leverage of digital technologies—including Industrial IoT, artificial intelligence, and advanced data analytics—to monitor, model, and optimize energy and environmental performance in real time, enabling smarter, more adaptive industrial systems. o Life Cycle Assessment and Sustainable Supply Chains: Development and application of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies for quantifying the environmental impacts of products and processes, and strategies for building resilient, low-impact supply chains. This also includes tools and frameworks to guide sustainability-driven policy and industrial decisions.
This research topic aims to bridge the gap between traditional industrial engineering and environmental sustainability. By encouraging multidisciplinary submissions, we seek to provide actionable insights and practical solutions for both academic advancement and real-world industrial applications. Contributions may encompass theoretical frameworks, experimental studies, case analyses, novel technologies, and policy discussions.
We invite original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and perspective pieces that explore: o Engineering innovations for energy and environmental optimization o Demonstrations of sustainability in diverse industrial sectors o Digitalization and intelligence in green manufacturing systems o Assessment and mitigation solutions for environmental impacts
By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, this Research Topic aspires to accelerate the transition towards sustainable industrial systems critical to the future of industry and the planet.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Original Research
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Original Research
Perspective
Review
Technology and Code
Keywords: Industrial Sustainability, Energy Efficiency, Environmental Management, Digitalization, Sustainable Manufacturing
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
