Operationalizing the Industrial Metaverse: Strategies, Challenges, and Opportunities for the Sustainable Factory of the Future

The Industrial Metaverse (IM) integrates digital twins, IoT, AI, and immersive technologies to create interconnected, data-driven production environments. While its potential for enhancing efficiency and collaboration is widely acknowledged, its operationalization, particularly in alignment with sustainability goals, remains underexplored. This paper investigates how manufacturing firms transition from isolated pilots to strategic adoption of IM technologies, using a Digital Maturity Model as an analytical lens. Drawing on two industrial case studies, a university-based smart production lab, and expert roundtable discussions, we identify key barriers such as interoperability, governance, and skills gaps, alongside opportunities for circular material flows and resource optimization. Based on these insights, we propose three pathways for implementation: (1) digital maturity and Infrastructure Readiness, (2) organizational transformation for metaverse-enabled workflows, and (3) strategic value realization through sustainable business models. The study contributes a roadmap for managers and policymakers seeking to leverage the IM as a catalyst for resilience, circularity, and long-term competitiveness in smart manufacturing ecosystems.