Explorative industrial internet promotes open green innovation in manufacturing enterprises

Why cleaner factories matter to everyone

Most of the products we use every day—from phones to medicine—are made in factories that consume huge amounts of energy and materials. As pressure grows to cut pollution and carbon emissions, manufacturers are looking for ways to become both smarter and greener without losing their edge in a fiercely competitive global market. This study asks a simple but important question: can new kinds of industrial internet technologies help factories open up to partners and, in the process, create cleaner, more sustainable ways of making things?

From connected machines to greener ideas

The researchers focus on what they call the “explorative” industrial internet: using digital tools such as sensors, cloud platforms and advanced data analysis not just to fine‑tune existing routines, but to search for new production methods and business models. Rather than treating the factory as a closed box, these technologies connect it to a wider digital platform that links suppliers, customers and other partners. In this setting, data flowing from machines and supply chains can point to new ways to save energy, cut waste and redesign products with the environment in mind.

Working together to create value

One of the study’s central ideas is value co‑creation—companies innovating together with customers, suppliers and even competitors. Digital platforms make this kind of collaboration easier by sharing information in real time and coordinating activities across many organizations. When firms open up their innovation process in this way, they are better able to design cleaner products, adopt low‑impact materials and rework logistics to reduce emissions. The study suggests that the industrial internet becomes far more powerful when it is used to support this kind of joint problem‑solving rather than being confined within a single company’s walls.

Smart tools inside the factory walls

The study also zooms in on advanced manufacturing technologies, such as computer‑aided design, flexible production systems and industrial robots. These tools can translate new ideas into practice by allowing factories to adjust processes quickly, improve precision and reduce scrap. When guided by data from industrial internet platforms, they help companies experiment with cleaner production methods—switching inputs, changing process parameters or redesigning products without massive downtime. In this way, digital connectivity on the outside and smart equipment on the inside work together to turn green concepts into real-world changes on the shop floor.

Why resources still make a difference

Not every company can take equal advantage of these opportunities. The authors find that firms with stronger resources—capital, technology, skilled people and organizational know‑how—gain more from industrial internet initiatives. Well‑resourced manufacturers are better able to invest in new equipment, train staff and build partnerships around shared environmental goals. For them, digital exploration, advanced tools and value co‑creation reinforce one another, leading to more visible green outcomes. Firms with fewer resources can still benefit, but the impact is smaller, highlighting the importance of supportive policies and financing to avoid widening the gap between digital leaders and laggards.

What this means for the future of making things

Based on survey data from 406 Chinese manufacturing firms, the study concludes that using industrial internet technologies in an exploratory, outward‑looking way clearly promotes open green innovation. This effect is strongest when factories also invest in advanced production tools and actively collaborate with partners, and when they have enough resources to support these efforts. For a general reader, the takeaway is straightforward: wiring up factories with smart, connected systems is not just about speed and cost. Done right, it can help manufacturers and their partners invent cleaner ways to produce the goods we rely on, supporting both economic growth and environmental protection.

Citation: Hu, R., Guoyong, M., Abbas, A. et al. Explorative industrial internet promotes open green innovation in manufacturing enterprises. Sci Rep 16, 11312 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-40439-0

Keywords: industrial internet, green innovation, advanced manufacturing, value co-creation, digital transformation