The convergence of digital technologies and sustainability assessments is changing the dynamics of environmental governance and corporate accountability. This chapter analyzes the way in which artificial intelligence, IoT, blockchain, digital twins, cloud analytics, and robotic process automation technologies contribute to sustainability assessment through their use in measuring, monitoring, and reporting on the environmental and social performance of corporations. Relying on the latest academic research, legislation, and business practice in this field, the chapter considers theoretical background, real-world applications, and governance issues related to digital sustainability assessment. A comprehensive analytical structure is provided, comprising data gathering, analysis, verification, and reporting, alongside comparative tables of relevant technologies, methods, legislation, problems, and solutions.
Purpose This study aims to examine how digital cultural values, collaboration, innovation and customer-centricity enable successful technological adoption in the banking sector's digital transformation journey. It explores how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), blockchain and metaverse-based interfaces are integrated to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency, with emphasis on the role of shared values in shaping strategy, leadership and organizational readiness. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative, case-based exploratory design is adopted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with senior managers across strategy, innovation, technology and customer experience functions. These were supplemented with secondary sources, including policy documents, digital strategy reports and industry analyses. Thematic analysis was used to identify cultural patterns and organizational factors influencing digital adoption in a regulated banking context. Findings The findings show that digital cultural values are critical enablers of successful technological adoption. Collaboration enhances cross-functional coordination and accelerates integration of emerging technologies. Innovation fosters experimentation and openness to AI, ML and immersive tools. Customer-centricity ensures that digital investments improve accessibility, transparency and service quality. Collectively, these values strengthen adaptability, operational efficiency and ecosystem integration, highlighting that cultural alignment is as important as technological capability in digital transformation. Originality/value The study positions digital cultural values as central enablers of technology adoption, extending digital transformation literature beyond technological capability perspectives. It contributes to theory by showing how shared values mediate the relationship between emerging technologies and service transformation in regulated banking environments. Practically, it offers guidance for building culturally aligned digital strategies that improve adoption, trust and customer experience.
Industry 5.0 emphasises human-centric technologies (HCTs) as essential drivers of sustainable and resilient production. However, their specific contributions to Circular Economy (CE) strategies and the associated skill requirements are not well-defined. This paper investigates how HCTs support Circular Economy practices (CEPs) and which skills and competencies are needed for their effective implementation. A systematic literature review was conducted using Scopus and Web of Science, following established guidelines. The search employed a string that links Industry 5.0, human-centricity, and the 10 R framework of CE. After a multi-stage screening and snowballing process, 41 peer-reviewed contributions published between 2015 and 2025 were selected for analysis through a combination of bibliometric and qualitative content analysis. The review maps the main HCTs, such as AI, digital twin, XR, robotics, blockchain, and IoT, to CEPs and specific 10 R strategies. It identifies seven clusters of skills ranging from analytical and decision-making abilities to human-machine collaboration, CE-specific expertise, and green human resource management practices. A Sankey diagram visualises the primary linkages between technology and strategy. Then, the authors developed a framework (TSC framework) that links skill clusters, CE practices, and enabling technologies and validated it through an illustrative case study. Interpreting the findings through the Resource-Based View, the paper argues that value arises from socio-technical bundles that integrate technologies, circular practices, and human capabilities. The study concludes with implications for policymakers, educators, and practitioners and outlines potential avenues for future research on skills for human-centred circularity.
Muhammad Farooq Shaikh, S. Hamza Hassan, Jawwad Shamsi, Alessia Maccaro · 5 authors
Background and objective The integration of blockchain and digital twin (DT) technologies is increasingly recognised as a promising approach for improving healthcare data integrity, interoperability, privacy, and clinical decision support. While digital twins enable dynamic patient modelling and predictive healthcare applications, blockchain provides secure data governance through decentralised trust, auditability, and access control. However, existing research remains fragmented, with limited synthesis of the architectural integration, regulatory readiness, ethical governance, and interoperability of blockchain-enabled healthcare digital twin systems. This systematic scoping review addresses these gaps by providing a comprehensive architectural and compliance-oriented analysis of the current evidence. Methods A systematic scoping review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines using Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. From 148 identified records, 55 eligible studies published between 2020 and 2025 were included after duplicate removal and eligibility screening. Data were extracted on digital twin functionality, blockchain architecture, healthcare application domains, consensus mechanisms, privacy-preserving strategies, and regulatory and ethical alignment. Structured Python-based visual mapping and comparative analyses were performed to identify architectural, governance, and compliance patterns across the literature. Results The findings demonstrate that blockchain is predominantly employed to provide access control, audit logging, data integrity, consent management, and secure data provenance within healthcare digital twin ecosystems. Patient-level and EHR-centred digital twins represented the most mature application areas, whereas cross-domain and infrastructure-level frameworks dominated early architectural exploration. The review identifies recurring compliance-oriented architectural patterns while revealing substantial gaps in clinically validated deployments, interoperability with established healthcare standards, decentralised governance models, and formal implementation of GDPR- and HIPAA-compliant engineering practices. Comparative heatmap analyses further highlight the uneven maturity of ethical governance and regulatory integration across blockchain functionalities. Conclusion This review provides the first comprehensive compliance-oriented architectural synthesis of blockchain-enabled healthcare digital twin systems by integrating technical architecture, regulatory readiness, ethical governance, and privacy-preserving design patterns within a unified analytical framework. The proposed architectural mapping identifies critical research gaps in interoperability, governance engineering, consensus optimisation, and real-world clinical validation, providing a foundation for the development of trustworthy, GDPR/HIPAA-aligned, FHIR-compatible, and clinically interoperable healthcare digital twin ecosystems.
Ms. Gunavarthani S, Dr. Princy J, Ms. Samyuktha S K
The textile industry has undergone a dramatic change in recent times because organizations are incorporating digital technology solutions for addressing issues related to sustainability and fast-tracking the journey toward a circular economy. These include Digital Product Passports (DPP), blockchain, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Industry 4.0 technologies, among others. The current research intends to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the topic of digital transformation and sustainability in the textile industry. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. In all, 55 peer-reviewed journals from 2020 to 2026 have been reviewed based on a structured selection process and analyzed using the thematic analysis approach. Six themes have been identified in the literature, which are as follows: Digital Product Passport, Digital Traceability Technologies, Industry 4.0 & Artificial Intelligence, Circular Economy Practices and Circular Supply Chains, Sustainability and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG), and Barriers, Challenges and Future Research Directions. The results show that digital technology greatly improves the traceability of products, efficiency, and resource recycling, facilitating sustainability along the supply chain. Yet, issues such as costly digital technology implementation, inadequate digital infrastructure, the absence of standardization in digital data structures, and organizational readiness hinder digital technologies' broader application. This research fills a gap in the literature in that it identifies a consolidated thematic framework explaining the role of digital technologies in transforming the industry sustainably. The results provide insights useful for academic studies, industry professionals, and policymakers working on sustainable textile ecosystems powered by digital technology.
This study investigates the multidimensional impacts of the Industry 5.0 paradigm on logistics and supply chain management, focusing primarily on human-centric digitalization and sustainability dynamics. Within this scope, aspects of operational efficiency, resilience, and financial performance are analysed as complementary dimensions within the thematic synthesis. Emphasising human-centric digitalization, it examines how the integration of advanced technologies with social responsibility principles reshapes supply chain strategies, fosters organisational transformation, and creates competitive advantages in the context of sustainable development. Following the PRISMA protocol, and using the Web of Science Core Collection as the primary database, a systematic literature review of 47 peer-reviewed studies was conducted, mapping thematic linkages among digitalization, resilience, financial outcomes, and sustainability. The synthesis identifies a conceptual framework that positions human–machine collaboration as a central enabler for sustainable transformation, enhancing decision-making, adaptability, energy efficiency, carbon footprint reduction, green innovation, and financial outcomes. Findings highlight interconnected pathways through which digitalization generates both operational gains and long-term strategic resilience. This study contributes an original analytical lens that unites human-centric digitalization, sustainability, resilience, and financial performance within a single framework, offering actionable insights for aligning technological innovation with sustainable supply chain strategies. In particular, the study points to practical pathways such as the use of digital twins for resource optimisation, blockchain for supply chain transparency, and AI-driven solutions for emission reduction.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping contemporary fashion by transforming design processes, production systems, and sustainability strategies in the textile and apparel sector. Amid growing concerns over overconsumption, environmental degradation, carbon emissions, and social inequities, AI has emerged as both a technological enabler and a subject of ethical scrutiny. This study examines the influence of AI on creative practice, circular design implementation, and responsible innovation in fashion. Drawing on a qualitative synthesis of systematic literature, design theory, and industry case analyses, this study proposes a framework that situates AI within sustainable fashion discourse. Findings indicate that generative design tools, virtual prototyping, digital twins, and predictive analytics support waste reduction, virtual sampling, demand-responsive production, and informed material selection. AI-enabled resale systems, automated textile sorting, and blockchain-based traceability strengthen circular economy initiatives by extending product lifecycles and improving transparency. However, algorithmic decision-making challenges authorship, craftsmanship, dataset neutrality, and labor structures. Concerns over bias, intellectual property ambiguity, digital energy consumption, and workforce displacement complicate sustainability narratives. The study argues that sustainable transformation requires a human-centered governance approach in which AI augments rather than replaces creative agency and is supported by ethical regulation and critical design education. By integrating sustainability theory, computational creativity, and AI ethics, this research contributes a holistic framework for responsible AI adoption in fashion systems.
In modern business and trade, digital transformation (DT) has become a key factor in gaining a competitive edge. Rapid developments in blockchain, big data analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) are changing company models, value generation workflows, and organizational strategies. By combining organizational, strategic, and technological viewpoints, this study offers a multifaceted examination of digital transformation. Secondary data from peer-reviewed literature, international industry publications, and corporate disclosures of top companies, such as Amazon, Alibaba Group, Microsoft, and Tesla, Inc., were analyzed using a descriptive and analytical research design. The study creates a conceptual framework that connects performance results, transformation processes, and digital drivers. The results indicate that ecosystem integration, organizational agility, digital capability development, and strategic alignment are necessary for a successful digital transformation. The paper contributes to digital transformation literature by combining findings from several sectors and putting forth an integrated strategic model that can be empirically validated in further studies; the paper adds to the body of knowledge on digital transformation.
Scalable event-driven architectures are now the focus of enterprise supply chain and logistics research as this information is surfaced from transport assets, warehouses, suppliers, platforms and risk environments at a more frequent rate to allow for faster decision making. This review looks at the concepts of peer-reviewed studies of 2015–2025 that have focused on architectures that have the ability to transform distributed events into traceability, resilience, visibility, and automated coordination. The review of the literature shows that there is no single concept but rather scattered concepts in the domain of scalable event-driven logistics within the fields of Internet of Things (IoT) in logistics, Logistics 4.0, big data analytics, blockchain traceability, multi-agent control and digital supply chain twins. These streams have significant challenges around event capture, real time analytics, decentralized provenance, and disruption response. Key gaps remain in latency benchmarking, cross-enterprise semantic interoperability, governance of shared event streams, and validated architecture-level performance evidence. The field is significant due to the increased reliance on enterprise architectures that extend beyond the organizational boundary that are also responsive, auditable and resilient.