The Impact of Robotics Integration in Industrial Processes on the Circular Economy

Robotics is one of the technologies associated with the technological revolution that industry is undergoing, Industry 4.0, which must evolve in terms of sustainability. In the academic literature, many studies analyze the consequences of its integration in industrial processes related to economy, quality and/or safety, but those that analyze its impact on the circular economy are scarce. Therefore, a multiple case study of innovative integrations of robotics in industrial processes and their impact on circular economy indicators has been carried out. The results show that robotics has a very important potential impact on the circular economy. This influence is highly variable depending of the type of application and the way of adaptation of the technology to the specific case. However, in the design of processes that integrate robotics into industrial processes, environmental aspects are often not taken into account or environmental indicators are considered as secondary indicators. These results can be particularly relevant for Public policy makers and businesses managers in order to pave the way towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.