Τhe timetable of the dissertation is ● April 21st, 2024: Research Proposal Submission ● June 19th, 2023: Submission of Ethics Approval ● September 20th, 2024: Final Draft Submission to Supervisor ● November 10th, 2024: Final Submission of the Dissertation The thesis is about Digital technologies as an enabler for Circular Economy transition. Problem statement: The potential of Industry 4.0 developments, advances in robotics, big data analytics, and smart tech to act as enabler for the CE transition are wide yet unexplored. The EU is allocating a large amount of its funding on innovation as a driving force in attaining its so- called twin (green and digital) transition to a zero carbon, zero waste economy that leaves no person or place behind. The real challenge is how to shift from the liner to the circular economy where waste will be reintroduced in the production chain minimizing our need of resources and reducing the environmental impact. In this context emerging technologies are vital for enabling disruptive close production cycles. Industrial context: Implications for academia (contribute to further research in this area), industry-practitioners (contribute with actual implementation of such ideas) and government – policymakers (contribute with enabling policy frameworks and investment).
