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Purpose The involvement of wear, friction and lubrication in engineering systems and industrial applications makes it imperative to study the various aspects of tribology in relation with advanced technologies and concepts. The concept of Industry 4.0 and its implementation further faces a lot of barriers, particularly in developing economies. Real-time and reliable data is an important enabler for the implementation of the concept of Industry 4.0. For availability of reliable and real-time data about various tribological systems is crucial in applying the various concepts of Industry 4.0. This paper aims to attempt to highlight the role of sensors related to friction, wear and lubrication in implementing Industry 4.0 in various tribology-related industries and equipment. Design/methodology/approach A through literature review has been done to study the interrelationships between the availability of tribology-related data and implementation of Industry 4.0 are also discussed. Relevant and recent research papers from prominent databases have been included. A detailed overview about the various types of sensors used in generating tribological data is also presented. Some studies related to the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are also included in the paper. A discussion on fault diagnosis and cyber physical systems in connection with tribology has also been included. Findings Industry 4.0 and tribology are interconnected through various means and the various pillars of Industry 4.0 such as big data, AI can effectively be implemented in various tribological systems. Data is an important parameter in the effective application of concepts of Industry 4.0 in the tribological environment. Sensors have a vital role to play in the implementation of Industry 4.0 in tribological systems. Determining the machine health, carrying out maintenance in off-shore and remote mechanical systems is possible by applying online-real-time data acquisition. Originality/value The paper tries to relate the pillars of Industry 4.0 with various aspects of tribology. The paper is a first of its kind wherein the interdisciplinary field of tribology has been linked with Industry 4.0. The paper also highlights the role of sensors in generating tribological data related to the critical parameters, such as wear rate, coefficient of friction, surface roughness which is critical in implementing the various pillars of Industry 4.0.