Automotive industry and industry 4.0-Circular economy nexus through the consumers' and manufacturers' perspectives: A case study

The recent emergence of Industry 4.0 and the circular economy paradigm have significantly influenced various manufacturing sectors, including the automotive industry. These developments pose new challenges and issues in creating a digital and sustainable future. In response, this study was conducted to address the research gaps in perception-based investigations, specifically in the context of the Indian automotive industry. The study explores the impacts of the circular economy-Industry 4.0 nexus on the Indian automotive industry from the perspectives of stakeholders: 98 manufacturers and 294 end-users. Perception data were collected through a structured questionnaire and subjected to statistical analysis using factor analysis (both exploratory and confirmatory) to obtain the best-fit model. The findings indicate that manufacturers recognize the potential impact of the circular economy-Industry 4.0 nexus on waste reduction, post-consumption product management, and asset analysis. On the other hand, end-users perceive that new strategies and machine tool-related aspects are best implemented through Industry 4.0 technologies. Additionally, the study applies the technology acceptance model to bridge the research gap and discusses other enabling factors of the circular economy-Industry 4.0 impacts in the automotive industry. The novelty of this work lies in the first-time application of technology acceptance model in the Indian automotive field. The study aims to identify Industry 4.0 application factors affecting operational efficiency in the circular economy oriented automotive industry, thereby aiding policy planners and managers in developing appropriate circular economy strategies for the digital manufacturing world of tomorrow.