Guest editorial: Circular supply chain strategy in Industry 4.0 under disruption and ambidexterity: challenges and risks

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Provides a research agenda on CSCS-I4.0 integration, disruption, and ambidexterity, highlighting underexplored trade-offs.

🏢実務担当者:Offers insights into challenges and risks of implementing circular supply chain strategies with I4.0, guiding technology adoption and investment decisions.

🏛政策担当者:Highlights the need for standards and data governance to support circular supply chains, relevant for industrial and sustainability policies.

This Special Issue (SI) presented the circular supply chain strategy (CSCS), posited as an adequate solution for addressing issues in managing supply chain activities, processes and resources, with sustainable development as the primary objective (Tseng et al., 2022a, b; Kurrahman et al., 2025a). However, CSCS-oriented progress may be unattainable if companies fail to implement suitable support tools, such as Industry 4.0 (I4.0), alongside scientific and technological advancements. The integration of I4.0 in technological developments and industrial processes is essential and offers numerous potentials for enhancing circular performance and advancing sustainability principles (Shayganmehr et al., 2021; Kurrahman et al., 2025b). In this context, firms cannot refrain from adopting the CSCS in I4.0 to survive and evolve in alignment with market trends and societal needs. Nevertheless, challenges persist in delineating the essential attributes that enhance the CSCS and in identifying the CSCS attributes within I4.0 that require emphasis to attain improved performance (Tseng et al., 2022b). Hence, this SI seeks to use the attributes of CSCS in I4.0 to identify effective solutions that assist firms in overcoming problems related to technology adoption.Yet, CSCS often encounter unforeseen disruptions including natural disasters, industrial incidents, technology alterations and political upheavals. Firms within the supply chain often experience disruptions that induce distress across the whole supply chain (Tseng et al., 2022c). The implications of such disruptions might be severe if not handled properly. Consequently, the management of CSCS disruptions by firms has emerged as a pivotal concern for both scholars and practitioners (Azadegan et al., 2020). Organizational ambidexterity has lately been acknowledged to be essential for allowing firms to equilibrate the consequences of disruption with other factors. For instance, the COVID-19 issue underscored the need to restructure contemporary supply chains to survive (Ivanov and Dolgui, 2020). Ambidexterity encompasses both exploration and exploitation to attain long-term supply chain sustainability (Tseng et al., 2022c). Numerous studies have acknowledged that supply chain ambidexterity has to be included in operations management (Blome et al., 2013; Aslam et al., 2018). However, the CSCS for disruption and ambidexterity has not been well explored in the literature. The CSCS is inadequate for reaping the advantages of ambidexterity, and the trade-offs for addressing these issues are scarcely documented in literature.CSCS in I4.0 strives to improve supply chain resilience and sustainability through the use of advanced digital technologies, particularly in times of disruption, while simultaneously achieving the multi-objectives of efficiency and innovation to foster greater ambidexterity (Kurrahman et al., 2024; Lin and Chu, 2025). Consequently, the multifaceted attributes of CSCS in I4.0 amidst disruption and ambidexterity are essential for addressing the issues linked to industrial operations and sustainability. However, numerous challenges and risks are associated with this strategy and have impeded its widespread adoption across industries. For instance, Lin and Chu (2025) and Jia et al. (2025) argued that CSCS in I4.0, which concentrates on supply chain network integration as well as its agility, adaptability and alignment, is essential for firms to navigate through the complexities of I4.0, as it addresses the pressing demand for sustainable competitive advantage in the swiftly changing service design environment; nonetheless, challenges concerning data security and stakeholder resistance to change persist. Kemmner et al. (2025) indicated that CSCS in I4.0, particularly strategies related to the advancement of data sharing via the digital product passport, is essential for improved traceability and transparency, facilitating better adaptation to disruptions and promoting circularity; yet, challenges remain in technology selection and scalability, data quality, data sovereignty, product-specific data requirements, standardization, interoperability and ecosystem momentum. Additionally, Kurrahman et al. (2025a) and Wang et al. (2025b) emphasized that the CSCS in I4.0, which enhances technology to facilitate cooperation and collaboration, reverse logistics and industrial symbiosis networks among firms within the supply chain, is essential; therefore, the associated risks and challenges must be identified and addressed.Within the context of identifying and addressing risks and challenges associated with CSCS in I4.0 implementation, Wang et al. (2025a) argued that investment is needed due to its capability in enhancing efficiency, minimizing costs and augmenting sustainability in supply chains. It also underscored that training and upskilling personnel to proficiently use the technology and optimize its advantages are required. Tsai et al. (2024) and Pai et al. (2025) highlighted that CSCS in I4.0, focused on green management, is essential for advancing environmental sustainability and mitigating the carbon footprint risks associated with supply chain activities. Firms must include environmentally sustainable practices into CSCS in implementations in I4.0 to comply and address the challenges associated with global sustainability objectives and standards (Kurrahman et al., 2025b). Integrating green management concepts into CSCS in I4.0 enables firms to boost their environmental performance while simultaneously improving reputation and market competitiveness. Consequently, prioritizing the integration of CSCS in I4.0, grounded in these approaches, is essential due to its capacity to enhance decision-making processes, optimize resource utilization and elevate customer satisfaction, thereby fostering competitiveness and growth for enterprises in the digital age.The findings exhibit significant advancement in integrating sophisticated technologies with circular strategies and practices, facilitating new avenues for resource management, traceability and industrial symbiosis. Notwithstanding these advancements, this SI also underscores enduring challenges and risks that need to be actively managed. Challenges to technological integration, data quality deficiencies, standards discrepancies, ecosystem inertia and organizational reluctance persist in obstructing the extensive implementation of CSCS in I4.0 settings. The need for investment in skills, infrastructure and collaborative networks is clear, necessitating organizations to operate deliberately and proactively. In sum, this SI indicates that the integration of CSCS and I4.0 not only meets sustainability objectives and manages disruptions but also necessitates adaptable strategies, organizational ambidexterity and continuous innovation to fully use the available prospects. The discussion and research provided will assist academic and professional groups in addressing these difficulties, fostering success in both present and future supply chain contexts.

• openalex https://doi.org/10.1108/imds-10-2025-996first seen 2026-08-02 17:25:07