Review of Digital Technologies for the Circular Economy and the Role of Simulation

The Circular Economy (CE) is essential for achieving sustainability, with digital technologies serving as key enablers for its adoption. However, many businesses lack knowledge about these technologies and their applications. This paper conducts a structured literature review (SLR) to identify the digital technologies proposed in recent literature for CE, their functions, and current real-world use cases. Special attention is given to simulation, which is considered a valuable digital technology for advancing CE. The analysis identifies the digital technologies Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Blockchain, simulation, cyber-physical systems, data analytics, Digital Twins, robotics, and Extended Reality. They are used for waste sorting and production automation, disassembly assistance, demand analysis, data traceability, energy and resource monitoring, environmental impact assessment, product design improvement, condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, process improvement, product design assessment, and immersive training. We discuss the findings in detail and suggest paths for further research.