Mapping industry 4.0 in the Portuguese industry

With Industry 4.0 and digital transformation, organisations have undergone enormous changes in business models, engineering, manufacturing, processes, and technologies. Hence, the need to investigate the status of its current knowledge and maturity. This research, supported by a survey for data collection (fifty valid responses), aims to analyse the knowledge and maturity (on a five-scale level) of Industry 4.0 in Portugal from the perspective of industrial companies. The conclusions highlight that the Portuguese organisations will have to adapt to the impact of Industry 4.0 on how their business is being developed and encompass the digitisation with new technologies. Unfortunately, adopting the concepts and methodologies inherent to Industry 4.0 is still incipient in Portugal, suggesting a possible lack of knowledge and poor leadership. Companies need to strategically change towards business models that are more flexible to the potential of technology and have a closer relationship with customers, ensuring increased operational autonomy and repositioning products and services. Having a team dedicated to digitisation increases the Industry 4.0 maturity level. Companies with a maturity Medium/High level of Products and Innovations have a higher level of perception based on their capacity for innovation, supported by new digital models and tools. Concerning Human Resources, the digitisation of knowledge management means and the promotion of new ideas for digital transformation increases its I4.0 maturity level. This study contributes to the start of the art of Industry 4.0 in Portuguese companies, mapping its present status, and providing insights for its future enhanced adoption.