Automation in smaller manufacturers
Adoption barriers, returns and failure modes specific to small and midsized firms, which behave nothing like the large plants most robotics research studies.
12 works. Metadata and abstracts from OpenAlex, harvested 2026-08-23. We have not summarized, graded or characterized this research ourselves, and the abstracts below are the authors' own.
Machine Intelligence and Autonomous Robotic Technologies in the Corporate Context of SMEs: Deep Learning and Virtual Simulation Algorithms, Cyber-Physical Production Networks, and Industry 4.0-Based Manufacturing Systems
This study examines Industry 4.0-based technologies, focusing on the barriers to their implementation in European small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this research was to determine the most significant obstacles that prevent SMEs from implementing smart manufacturing, as well as to identify the most important components of such an operationalization and to evaluate whether only large businesses have access to technological opportunities given the financial complexities of such an adoption. The study is premised on the notion that, in the setting of cyber-physical production systems, the gap between massive corporations and SMEs may result in significant disadvantages for the latter, leading to their market exclusion by the former. The research aim was achieved by secondary data analysis, where previously gathered data were assessed and analyzed. The need to...
An exploration of organizational readiness factors for Quality 4.0: an intercontinental study and future research directions
Purpose Quality 4.0 incorporates the role of automation and digitization and provides competitive advantage for organizations by enhancing customer experience and increase profitability. The purpose of this study is to critically examine the organizational readiness factors for the successful implementation of Quality 4.0 implementation and assess their importance. Design/methodology/approach This study applies a quantitative research methodology to examine readiness factors of Quality 4.0 in organizations by 147 senior management professionals in various organizations including manufacturing and service companies in America, Asia and Europe participated through an online survey. Findings The readiness factors for Quality 4.0 were critically ranked amongst manufacturing and service organizations by senior management professionals from three continents. Five significant reasons for...
Determinants of Adoption of Robotics in Precast Concrete Production for Buildings
Robotics is an important technological innovation in building prefabrication to fully capitalize on the benefits of off-site construction, but its uptake has been low. This paper explores the determinants affecting the adoption of robotics in building prefabrication, with a focus on precast concrete elements. A qualitative multiple-case-study method was used, with four selected case companies: two precast concrete manufacturers and two robotics suppliers. Data were collected through observation, document analysis, and in-depth interviews, drawing on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework. The results reveal that whether a precast concrete manufacturer adopts robotics rests more on the environmental and organizational context than on technological advancements. A framework of nine key determinants is derived, in which the interactions between determinants are manifested...
Towards design and implementation of Industry 4.0 for food manufacturing
Today’s factories are considered as smart ecosystems with humans, machines and devices interacting with each other for efficient manufacturing of products. Industry 4.0 is a suite of enabler technologies for such smart ecosystems that allow transformation of industrial processes. When implemented, Industry 4.0 technologies have a huge impact on efficiency, productivity and profitability of businesses. The adoption and implementation of Industry 4.0, however, require to overcome a number of practical challenges, in most cases, due to the lack of modernisation and automation in place with traditional manufacturers. This paper presents a first of its kind case study for moving a traditional food manufacturer, still using the machinery more than one hundred years old, a common occurrence for small- and medium-sized businesses, to adopt the Industry 4.0 technologies. The paper reports the...
Awareness and readiness of Industry 4.0: The case of Turkish manufacturing industry
The concept Industry 4.0 (I4.0) represents intelligent production processes combining cyber and physical systems through a set of technologies such as internet of things, big data and cloud computing. Transition to Industry 4.0 is expected to cause formidable structural changes, productivity increments and competitiveness in manufacturing industry in all over the world. This study aimed to investigate the general approach to the concept of Industry 4.0 and levels of adoption of the basic Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing firms across Turkey. For this purpose, a survey was conducted with 427 firms with various sizes (micro, small, medium and large) operating in six subsectors (automotive; electronic; machinery; chemical; food; and textile) of Turkish manufacturing. The paper examined nine I4.0 technologies: autonomous robots, big data applications, cloud computing, cyber...
Developing technological capabilities for Industry 4.0 adoption: An analysis of the role of inbound open innovation in small and medium‐sized enterprises
To keep up with rapid technological change, firms are pushed to acquire new competencies and resources, often leveraging the external networks in which they are involved. The paper examines how firms' engagement in inbound open innovation (OI) enables the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) through the deployment of technological capabilities. We combine the OI and dynamic capabilities frameworks to assess how the absorption of knowledge from different actors impacts the necessary technological capabilities for adopting I4.0 technologies. The capabilities are categorized in technological sensing, seizing and reconfiguring. The study is based on in‐depth case studies of two selected SMEs from the footwear industry. The cases show that engaging in external collaborations, particularly with universities, pushes SMEs to renew the bundle...
An application of collaborative robots in a food production facility
Despite the food industry being a leading sector of the European economy, the level of penetration of automation is still low. The main reasons lie on the small margin of food items which does not encourage technological investments, the extremely spread vendors market i.e. mostly small and medium enterprises, and the high level of flexibility and care required to handle food products along production, packaging, and storage operations. Nevertheless, the advent of collaborative, small and flexible robots provides great opportunities for the design and development of new effective processes integrating the human flexibility with the efficiency of automation. This paper explores the impact of adopting collaborative robots in the food catering industry, by illustrating a case study developed for the end-of-line of a catering production system. A generalizable methodology is proposed to...
Industrial digitalization in the industry 4.0 era: Classification, reuse and authoring of digital models on Digital Twin platforms
Digital Twins (DTs) are real-time digital models that allow for self-diagnosis, self-optimization and self-configuration without the need for human input or intervention. While DTs are a central aspect of the ongoing fourth industrial revolution (I4.0), this leap forward may be reserved for the established, large-cap companies since the adoption of digital technologies among Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs) is still modest. The aim of the H2020 European Project ”DIGITbrain” is to support a modular construction of DTs by reusing their fundamental building blocks, i.e., the Models that describe the behavior of the DT, their associated Algorithms and the Data required for the evaluation. By offering these building blocks as a service via a DT Platform (a Digital Twin Environment), the technical barriers among SMEs to adopt these technologies are lowered. This paper describes how...
Analysis of barriers of cyber-physical system adoption in small and medium enterprises using interpretive ranking process
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report a study on analysis of barriers for cyber-physical system (CPS) adoption in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach In Industry 4.0 scenario, Indian SMEs are struggling to bring their manufacturing processes in line with large manufacturing sector. CPS is considered as the backbone of Industry 4.0, and its implementation in SMEs will make significant changes pertaining to manufacturing automation. However, due to the lack of a proper CPS implementation strategy, SMEs face many challenges in its adoption. Hence, this study identified 18 possible barriers and seven performance measures pertaining to CPS adoption in Indian SMEs. Interpretive ranking process (IRP) is used to develop the contextual relationships among CPS barriers. IRP process include structured step-by-step matrix-based approach in which dominance among...
AI, robots and innovation in European SMEs
There is increasing interest in the impact of advanced digital technologies on SMEs, but the determinants of their adoption and their association with multiple innovation outcomes remain unexplored. Based on the Flash Eurobarometer 486, this paper analyses how the adoption of artificial intelligence and robots is related to European SMEs carrying out product, process, organizational and marketing innovations. Our results establish scale-ups and start-ups as the most likely adopters of these technologies and the most innovative firms. Furthermore, internal characteristics, such as internationalization and firm size, and external factors, such as the availability of digital skills and infrastructure, are significant drivers of digitalization at the firm level. In a two-stage approach, we find that the adoption of artificial intelligence and robots is associated with all innovation types...
Investigating industry 4.0 technologies in logistics 4.0 usage towards sustainable manufacturing supply chain
In the era of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), automation and data analysis have undergone significant advancements, greatly impacting production management and operations management. Technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, cloud computing (CC), and big data, have played a crucial role in shaping Logistics 4.0 (L4.0) and improving the efficiency of the manufacturing supply chain (SC), ultimately contributing to sustainability goals. The present research investigates the role of I4.0 technologies within the framework of the extended theory of planned behavior (ETPB). The research explores various variables including subjective norms, attitude, perceived behavior control, leading to word-of-mouth, and purchase intention. By modeling these variables, the study aims to understand the influence of I4.0 technologies on L4.0 to establish a sustainable manufacturing SC. A questionnaire...
Robot adoption and export performance: evidence from Chinese industrial firms
Purpose As a new research interest, robots have surpassed human performance across several aspects. In this research, the authors wish to investigate whether robot adopters perform better than non-adopters in terms of export behavior, especially when distinguishing between different types of firms. Design/methodology/approach The authors try a new strategy to identify the extent of robot adoption by import data and compare the export trajectories of robot adopters and non-adopters by employing the propensity score matching-difference in difference (PSM-DID) method. Findings The authors find that robot adopters are more likely to enter export markets and improve subsequent export performance, as the gains from doing so can spread the reduction in variable production costs to a larger customer base abroad. But this rule does not always seem to work; for large-scale firms, robot adoption...
Ask Joe about any of this
Our concierge can search this library during a conversation and cite what it finds, with links. He is instructed never to cite a paper that is not in it.
All shelves