Drivers and Constraints of Remanufacturing: A Global Bibliometric Review
Abstract
This study aims to provide a global bibliometric review of scholarly research concerning the drivers and constraints in the domain of remanufacturing, which also seeks to provide a blueprint of the intellectual structure and thematic evolution, along with collaboration patterns in this important area of sustainability. This study reviews 1,162 publications from Scopus’s 2015–2025 database, employing bibliometric methods using VOSviewer and Harzing’s Publish or Perish software. This study measures the trends in publications, authorship, subject areas, and keyword co-occurrence networks. The results show an exponential increase in research output since 2019, with Environmental Science and Engineering dominating the publications. Research output stems from the drivers which include the absence of policy and regulatory support, economic incentives and profitability, sustainability and resource efficiency, market demand and consumer behaviour, and technological improvement. The constraints of research output include consumer perception and acceptance, high initial investment and financial viability, lack of skilled workforce, product design and technical obstacles, and reverse logistics and supply chain uncertainty. Research also shows the strong interdisciplinary nature of the field. The primary focus of research is still concentrated in Europe and East Asia. By integrating ten years of worldwide research, this study aims to create a systematic evidence base for academics and practitioners. In closing, it advocates for research on remanufacturing to be more inclusive, context-sensitive, and transdisciplinary so that remanufacturing can develop as a scalable, equitable, and transformative component of the circular economy.
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