Circular Economy in Brazil Coupled with Industry 4.0

Abstract

To develop climate technology projects is a desire of all countries; however, it is often also a challenge. To support countries to overcome these challenges, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have developed a strategic global project known as Technology Needs Assessments (TNA). Brazil is one of the 80 countries that elaborated a TNA to assess the best technologies that can contribute with a sustainable society, and one of these prioritized technologies was the industry 4.0. In this regard, this chapter presents how smart materials, technologies, and devices can collaborate with a sustainable society, composing a Technology Action Plan (TAP) to the industry 4.0. Following the UNFCCC guidance, it is presented a plan to integrate the industry 4.0 with the circular economy, which will develop research, innovation, training, and infrastructure actions in circular economy 4.0 techniques and technologies. The implementation of this TAP aims to overcome barriers, such as the low competence in the development of hardware, software, and analytics, among others. Through the achievement of this TAP, a number of co-benefits can also be achieved: gain of competitiveness, increase in labor productivity, reduction in energy consumption, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and creation of new activities and professions in industry. Although this study focuses on the Brazilian industrial sector, its main procedures and findings could be applied in other countries, particularly emerging ones, being a could starting point for developing a circular economy 4.0 that would boost their productivity while reducing the impacts of industrial residues.