Sustainable Smart Manufacturing (SSM) has emerged as a critical pathway for enhancing productivity, resource efficiency, and environmental performance in modern industry. However, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in developing economies, face significant challenges in adopting SSM due to resource constraints. This study presents a comprehensive review and conceptual synthesis of the key barriers and enablers influencing SSM adoption in resource-constrained SMEs. Major barriers identified include financial limitations, technological gaps, inadequate infrastructure, workforce skill shortages, organizational resistance, and regulatory uncertainty, which collectively hinder digital transformation.Conversely, the study highlights several enabling factors, including declining costs of digital technologies, supportive government policies, industry collaboration, workforce development initiatives, and the emergence of cloud-based manufacturing platforms. Based on these insights, a five-stage SSM adoption framework is proposed, encompassing readiness assessment, strategic technology selection, pilot implementation, capacity development, and scale-up with sustainability integration.The findings emphasise that SSM adoption is not solely a technological process but a broader socio-economic transformation requiring coordinated stakeholder engagement. The study contributes to both theory and practice by offering a structured, scalable roadmap to support SMEs in achieving sustainable industrial transformation and long-term competitiveness.

Keywords

Sustainable smart manufacturing, small and medium-sized enterprises, Industry 4.0 technologies, digital transformation, sustainability performance