Corresponding Manager: Adel Ben Youssef (adel.benyoussef@gmail.com)
Track Manager(s): Adel Ben Youssef
Description
Industry 4.0 and 5.0 put digital transformation at the core of innovation: big data, IoT, blockchain, VR and automation reconfigure operations and enable low-carbon models via measurable efficiency gains. This convergence defines the twin transition, aligning digital with environmental goals so connected systems deliver verified cuts in energy and material intensity while preserving competitiveness (Ben Youssef, 2025). Portfolios move from measurement to control to redesign, linking digital twins, IoT and AI to circular flows and carbon management. Evidence shows complementarities: bundled Industry 4.0 boosts eco-innovation (Montresor et al., 2023); regional co-specialization correlates with lower industrial emissions (Bianchini et al., 2023); Bayesian analyses identify digital mixes common to environmental practice (Aiello et al., 2025). Impact depends on governance and metrics: define baselines and counterfactuals, instrument key processes, and ensure transparent data lineage and independent verification (Faucheux et al., 2011; Veugelers et al., 2023).
This track aims to explore how digital transformation can lead to more sustainable economies, industries, and societies. Potential topics include, but are not limited to twin transition in: sustainable economic models; ecological transition; corporate strategy; tourism; metrics; skills; Industry 5.0; climate action; circular economy; eco-efficiency; energy transition; entrepreneurship; smart and sustainable cities.
Keywords
twin transition; digital transition; green transition; industry 4.0; sustainabilty
Key References
Aiello, F., Cozzucoli, P. C., Mannarino, L., & Pupo, V. (2025). Bayesian insights on digitalization and environmental sustainability practices: Towards the twin transition in the EU. Business Strategy and the Environment, 34, 417–432. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3985
Ben Youssef, A. (2025). Twin transition: Digital transformation pathways for sustainable innovation. Sustainability, 17(21), 9491. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219491
Bianchini, S., Damioli, G., & Ghisetti, C. (2023). The environmental effects of the “twin” green and digital transition in European regions. Environmental and Resource Economics, 84, 877–918. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-022-00741-7
Faucheux, S., & Nicolaï, I. (2011). IT for green and green IT: A proposed typology of eco-innovation. Ecological Economics, 70(11), 2020–2027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.06.020.
Montresor, S., & Vezzani, A. (2023). Digital technologies and eco-innovation: Evidence of the twin transition from Italian firms. Industrial and Innovation, 30(7), 766–800. https://doi.org/10.1080/13662716.2023.2213179