This research examines the intersection of Circular Economy (CE) principles and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies in
accelerating progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), which focuses on ensuring universal access to
affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy. Through an innovative methodological approach combining co-
occurrence network analysis, bibliometric clustering, and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), we
identified key thematic patterns and synergistic relationships in the emerging literature. Our analysis of 19,982 unique
articles revealed that sustainable development and circular economy concepts form the conceptual foundation, with digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, internet of things, and blockchain serving as critical enablers for sustainable energy innovation. The fsQCA results demonstrated that the strength of thematic connections is more significant than their quantity in contributing to energy sustainability goals. This study offers valuable insights for researchers, policymakers,
and industry stakeholders seeking to leverage the transformative potential of CE-I4.0 inte- gration for sustainable energy
transitions