Sustainability transition of production systems: a longitudinal study investigating regenerative manufacturing atributes

Abstract

Regenerative manufacturing presents a new paradigm for production systems, moving beyond traditional sustainability by aiming for positive, large-scale impact across the value chain. Rather than simply minimizing harm, it seeks net positive value for stakeholders by fostering the co-evolution of industry, society, and nature. Despite rising interest, theoretical and practical understanding of how to integrate regenerative manufacturing into industrial systems—especially in the Global South—remains limited. This study identifies key attributes of regenerative manufacturing and analyses historical data from a Global South country. Four main attributes emerged from an in-depth literature review: integration with natural ecosystems, circularity and systemic value, social justice and production ethics, and learning and adaptation capacity. These were examined through a longitudinal analysis of secondary data from Brazil, using the multilevel perspective (MLP) to map interactions among niche innovations, socio-technical regimes, and landscapes. The findings show that Brazil has not made sufficient progress toward a new sociotechnical regime for regenerative manufacturing, highlighting the need for better alignment between emerging technologies and public policy. The study’s main contribution is the identification and empirical assessment of regenerative manufacturing attributes using the MLP, providing guidelines for industrial transitions toward regenerative manufacturing.