Bibliometric mapping of digital technologies for overcoming barriers to circular economy business model implementation

The transition towards Circular Economy Business Models (CEBMs) has become a critical component of sustainable development strategies across industries. Despite their potential to reduce environmental impacts and promote resource efficiency, the implementation of CEBMs continues to face a wide array of barriers ranging from technological and organizational to informational and regulatory challenges. In recent years, digital technologies have emerged as promising enablers that can help address these obstacles by improving transparency, coordination, and adaptability within circular systems. This study aims to explore the evolving research landscape at the intersection of digital technologies and CEBM implementation. Using data from 368 peer-reviewed articles published between 2016 and 2025 and retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, we conducted a mixed-method bibliometric analysis. The methodology combines keyword co-occurrence mapping, thematic evolution, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), and k-means clustering using RStudio Bibliometrix and VOSviewer. The findings reveal a notable surge in research activity since 2019, structured around four interrelated clusters: strategic foundations and barrier navigation, digital infrastructure and technological enablers, market interfaces and consumer-driven dynamics, and emerging innovation themes. Based on these clusters, the study develops a theory-informed conceptual framework that maps digital tools (e.g., IoT, blockchain, big data, servitization) to distinct implementation barrier categories, interpreted through the theoretical lenses of dynamic capabilities theory and resource-based view. The study contributes to theory by synthesizing emerging knowledge domains and offering an integrated lens to understand the role of digitalization in circular transitions. For practitioners, it presents a structured overview of technologies and implementation pathways. For policymakers, it highlights the importance of targeted workforce upskilling, infrastructure alignment, and cross-sectoral policy frameworks to enable scalable and context-sensitive circular innovation.