Nexus Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable performance in the manufacturing industry with circular economy, supply chain integration, resilience and environmental dynamism

Purpose This research aims to explore the impacts of Industry 4.0 technologies (I4.0Ts) on sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP) in the Iraqi manufacturing industry. It explores the mediating impact of circular economy practices (CEP) and supply chain resilience (SCR) and the moderating impacts of environmental dynamism (ED) and supply chain integration (SCI). Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was used, and 426 respondents from Iraqi manufacturing companies were surveyed. The data were analyzed with SmartPLS 4 for the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach – to assess the measurement model and determine the relevancy of the hypotheses that were embedded in the input model. Findings The findings specify that I4.0Ts have a significant positive influence on SSCP, CEP and SCR. Besides, together SCR and CEP significantly mediate the correlation between I4.0Ts and SSCP. Additionally, ED positively moderates the effects of I4.0Ts on SCR and CEP, while SCI improves the effect of SCR and CEP on SSCP. These results demonstrate that digital technologies yield stronger sustainability outcomes when combined with organizational capabilities such as resilience, circularity and integration. Originality/value Theoretically, the study extends the natural resource-based view theory by incorporating digital transformation and contextual moderators into SSCP frameworks. Practically, the findings offer actionable guidance for manufacturing executives and policymakers aiming to improve sustainability through digital adoption, circularity and resilience.