5 Ways Digital Tech Can Improve Sustainability In Manufacturing

In today’s business world sustainability is not optional. It’s a must.

Both consumers and regulators demand action and transparency when it comes to environmental matters, especially when it comes to critical matters like CO2 emissions and recycling of materials.

In 2015, the UN set out a list of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to call for businesses and governments to protect the planet and work towards ending poverty by 2030. At the same time, the UN Race to Zero campaign was launched and to date 5,200 businesses have signed up and made a commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Although these may sound lofty goals, with willingness and cooperation, experts believe that they are achievable. Sustainability shouldn’t be viewed as a problem for business. In fact, there is evidence to point to the fact that sustainability is good for business, with Industry 5.0 set to be the next evolution of global industry.

Industry 5.0 is all about creating strategies and business ecosystems that are good for business, people, and the planet. Digital technology plays an important role in the vision of Industry 5.0 and sustainability.

Industry 5.0 – what is it and why is it needed?In recent years, concern about societal challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, resource conservation, and social stability have become more widespread.The manufacturing industry can play an active role in addressing these challenges by embracing Industry 5.0 which builds on the digital foundations laid by Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).The overarching goal of Industry 5.0 is to usher in an era of near zero production loss and net-zero emissions. Industry 5.0 involves the use of innovative ‘big data’ services and advanced AI technology to enable sustainable, people-centric, and planet-friendly manufacturing production.

Sustainability - the achievable dream

The vision of a sustainable future is not just a utopian pipedream. It is achievable.

Optimism is growing that businesses and industry can actually play a pivotal role in meeting net-zero goals.

But, and it’s a big but – achieving sustainability requires a big transformation.

The way business and industry operates needs to change. The entire value chain needs to be transformed using digital technology, with businesses taking the time to understand the problems, audit processes and workflows, optimize and transform them, and measure the results.

We are moving from the awareness phase of sustainability to the acceptance phase at the moment. This is demonstrated by the fact that 89% of businesses realize that action needs to be taken on sustainability and digital transformation will be an instrumental part of the solution.

The next phase is to decide which digital tech to apply, such as implementation of data analysis systems, AI, IIoT, and cloud services.  

5 Ways digital tech helps to meet sustainability goals

1. Accurate measurement and reporting of carbon emissions

It’s a bit of a cliche, but it’s true – “what gets measured, gets managed”.  

The same applies to carbon emissions. To achieve net-zero, we must first implement accurate ways to measure carbon emissions that capture all the necessary data. IIoT sensors, devices, and cloud systems can enable the collection, storage, and analysis of data.  

The data gathered from IIoT systems can help businesses to make sustainability decisions in a data-driven way.

2. Optimize design processes

As part of the European Green Deal, the EU released a Circular Economy Action Plan which is a blueprint for achieving a circular economy and the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality targets. One of the issues highlighted in the plan is the need to improve product design, as “up to 80% of a products’ environmental impact is determined at the design phase”.

Digital technology can optimize the design process, with intelligent design techniques such as generative design being used to iteratively improve products and make them more sustainable. Data collection and deep analysis can also be used to optimize material usage, product assembly, and logistics.

3. Implement predictive maintenance

Applying data-driven predictive maintenance techniques leads to sustainability benefits, as well as the reduction of costs. The combination of IIoT sensors, cloud networks, and analysis software means that equipment can be serviced before vital components break or machines need replacing.

Servicing a machine is much more environmentally friendly, and creates a reduced carbon footprint, compared to replacing machinery or carrying out extensive repairs.

4. Improve inter-business collaboration

The combined effect of the growing climate emergency and the global COVID-19 pandemic has led to a situation which demands that businesses, non-profit organizations, and governments  collaborate more effectively than ever before.

The general consensus is that to reverse the devastating effects of global warming, a global, concerted effort is needed.

Digital technology will be at the forefront of enabling greater collaboration between different organizations. Digital IIoT sensors, combined with powerful cloud computing systems, allow for much deeper analysis of large datasets shared by a variety of businesses and organizations. Businesses can also share best practices, set shared goals, and measure the effectiveness of different approaches via collaborative cloud platforms.

5. Reduce embodied carbon in materials

If manufacturing companies are serious about reaching their net-zero targets, they need to consider the carbon neutrality of their supply chain as well as production activities. Digital tools that are applied at the design stage can indicate the level of embodied carbon present in materials and replace them with less carbon intense alternatives.

Digital tools can also be used to carry out more accurate life cycle analyses (LCA) and determine the overall environmental impact of manufactured products.