More Than 10 Years on: Does a State‐of‐the‐Art Review and Synthesis Offer New Frameworks to Guide Future Design for Remanufacturing Research?

ABSTRACT There is strong evidence that design for remanufacturing (DfRem) can reduce initial‐design carbon emissions by up to 30%, and that product design can critically affect remanufacturing feasibility, yet academic adoption of DfRem remains limited. The last major review of DfRem dates to 2011, despite substantial evolution across environmental, economic, technological, and methodological domains. Through a review of 174 publications, this study maps the current DfRem research landscape and proposes a systematic framework approach to guide future research directions. Review findings reveal a transition from DfRem research addressed within conventional design challenges and tool development priorities, to data‐driven, sustainability‐motivated methodologies and studies. Clear emphases on OEM perspectives and the automotive sector are also identified. Notably, recent exploration and integration of Industry 4.0 technologies into DfRem research, that is, via digital twins, smart remanufacturing, and cyber‐physical systems, marks a significant and evolving shift that is logical in the context of OEM case studies. Methodologies used to study these innovations are founded upon, and increasingly aligned with eco‐design, life‐cycle assessment, and human‐centric frameworks. Methodologically, DfRem research is evolving from conceptual and secondary‐data studies toward empirical, validated research predominantly conducted as case studies, while a strong emphasis on technical engineering perspectives persists. Two resulting frameworks are presented to capture diverse perspectives related to emergent research priorities for DfRem on the basis of process versus product research focus, and analysis versus design research focus. Through the course of this review, we demonstrate DfRem as an increasingly relevant and critical enabler for the advancement of operationalized circular economy, lifecycle extension, and net‐zero strategies within sustainable manufacturing systems, and present our recommendations for continued progress, accordingly.