The emerging of the fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0 (I4.0), from the advancement in several technologies is viewed not only to promote economic growth, but also to enable a greener future. The 2030 Agenda of the United Nations for sustainable development sets out clear goals for the industry to foster the economy, while preserving social well-being and ecological validity. However, the influence of I4.0 technologies on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) has not been conclusively or systematically investigated. By understanding the link between the I4.0 technologies and the SDGs, researchers can better support policymakers to consider the technological advancement in updating and harmonizing policies and strategies in different sectors (i.e., education, industry, and governmental) with the SDGs. To address this gap, academic experts in this paper have investigated the influence of I4.0 technologies on the sustainability targets identified by the UN. Key I4.0 element technologies have been classified to enable a quantitative mapping with the 17 SDGs. The results indicate that the majority of the I4.0 technologies can contribute positively to achieving the UN agenda. It was also found that the effects of the technologies on individual goals varies between direct and strong, and indirect and weak influences. The main insights and lessons learned from the mapping are provided to support future policy.

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PurposeThe main features of evolvable systems include distributed control, a modularized, intelligent and open architecture, a comprehensive and multi‐dimensional methodological support that comprises the reference architecture. Furthermore, integration of legacy subsystems and modules has been addressed in the methodology. This paper aims to present the latest developments, applications and conclusions drawn to date.Design/methodology/approachEvolvable assembly system is a new methodology in itself, and is currently being applied within several European projects. Evolvable assembly goes beyond reconfigurability and offers continuous evolution of the system.FindingsThe work has been, and is being, implemented through large European research projects. Evolvability, being a system concept, is envisaged addressing every aspect of an assembly system throughout its life cycle, i.e. design and development, operation and evolution.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper presents the latest developments, applications and conclusions drawn to date.Originality/valueThe paper presents the methodology and the latest application of it, which is industrial. This is the first application that offers self‐configuration of the equipment.

The increasing threats and opportunities, on the global markets, challenge today the company at several levels. The actual Manufacturing Systems becomes dramatic for the survival and prosperity of the organization. Agility, Sustainability and high rate of Re-usability are the main objectives of an “Evolvable Production System”. Task-specific and process-oriented modules with embedded intelligence, together with distributed control based on agent technology are the cornerstones of an EPS. The realization and management of this kind of systems entail an ontological approach due to their implicit complexity. The reference architecture is the key to canalize the underlying holism of an EPS towards an effective instantiation, which exploits the “Emergent Behavior”, the key driver of the Evolvability of a system. The issues related with the application of this view, such as dynamic link between product and system design as well as the management of a module repository, underline the weakness of present business models. Therefore a model for the emplacement of a System that follows the “Evolvable Paradigm” predicament has been produced in order to enable further studies. One of the conclusions of the work is the need for a more suitable approach to business by the main actors involved in the realization of an EPS. Sharing information and standards about product design and modules realization becomes a compulsory strategic choice.

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