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May 17, 2026Journal of Sustainable Business0 citationsOpen Access

Digitally enabled product–service systems and sustainability: a semi-systematic review of IoT, B2B platforms, and digitalization & servitization

SWSimon WeisskopfUniversity of TrentoNMNico MeierZeppelin Universität gemeinnützige GmbH

Key Points

  • The research aims to explore how digital technologies facilitate sustainable value creation in industrial product-service systems.
  • Semi-systematic review of 123 publications on IoT, B2B platforms, digitalization, and servitization.
  • Analysis of benefits and barriers of technologies in supporting sustainable practices in PSS.
  • Identified key benefits and barriers of IoT and B2B platforms in resource efficiency and value creation.
  • Revealed fragmented approaches to sustainability assessment in PSS design.
  • Emphasized the necessity of integrating various technological interactions for comprehensive sustainability outcomes.

Abstract

Abstract This study examines how digital technologies enable sustainable value creation in industrial Product–Service Systems (PSS). Focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT), Business-to-Business (B2B) platforms, and digitalization and servitization, the paper synthesises findings from a semi-systematic review of 123 publications. The analysis identifies key benefits and barriers associated with each technological domain and highlights how they collectively support data-driven coordination, service-based value creation, and resource-efficient operations. At the same time, the review reveals fragmented treatment of sustainability and a lack of methods capable of assessing environmental, economic, and social impacts, especially in the early stages of PSS design. The study integrates insights across previously disconnected research streams and shows that sustainability outcomes cannot be understood through single technologies alone but emerge from their interaction within broader socio-technical systems. On this basis, the paper outlines implications for theory and practice and identifies priorities for future research, including integrated assessment approaches, improved modelling of dynamic system behaviour, and stronger consideration of social impacts.

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Cite This Study

Weisskopf et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a095c5d7880e6d24efe266chttps://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-026-00143-8
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