Application of QFD in sustainable new product development in the agro-industrial sector: a systematic literature review

The growing emphasis on sustainable product development systems from the need to address environmental, social, and economic challenges associated with traditional production processes. This study is motivated by the integrating sustainability into product design and operations, using emerging technologies to enable data-driven decisions, optimise resource use, and improve supply chain transparency. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) translates customer needs into design features that align with sustainability goals. This research conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of journal articles published between 2012 and 2023, focusing on the application of QFD in sustainable product development, specifically in the agro-industrial sector. A total of 39 scientific papers were sourced from Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed databases and analysed using VOS viewer. The study aims to identify how QFD and other methods support sustainable product development by linking design features to sustainability goals. The results reveal strong correlations between key themes ‘sustainability’, ‘QFD’, and ‘new product development’ demonstrating the potential of QFD to drive sustainable innovation. The findings are presented in both quantitative and qualitative formats, illustrated through article overview diagrams, keyword analysis visualisations, and trends in QFD integration. These insights provide a useful reference for agro-industrial companies aiming to integrate sustainability into product development.