Towards a circular business ecosystem 4.0 in the cosmetics industry: Findings from a bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review

This study addresses critical gaps in sustainability research, which has predominantly focused on technical and environmental aspects while overlooking the systemic integration of Industry 4.0 technologies and stakeholder collaboration within business ecosystems. Focusing on the cosmetics industry, it explores how circular economy principles and digital technologies can converge to drive sustainable transformation. By combining bibliometric analysis (2671 documents and 163,066 references) with a systematic literature review (78 articles), the study introduces the novel concept of Circular Business Ecosystem 4.0 (CBE 4.0). This model extends traditional circularity frameworks by emphasizing the interconnected roles of Industry 4.0 technologies and ecosystem actors across the cosmetic product lifecycle. The bibliometric findings highlight dominant research themes—such as green chemistry, microalgae, microplastics, and bioactive compounds—while revealing a lack of systemic approaches. The SLR complements these insights by illustrating how digital tools and stakeholder collaboration can enable sustainability at every stage of the value chain. Beyond the cosmetics sector, the CBE 4.0 model offers a transferable framework for integrating advanced technologies into circular business ecosystems. This research contributes a holistic, actionable perspective that bridges fragmented discourse and informs future strategies for practitioners, policymakers, and scholars.