Digitalization of SMEs

Benedetta Venanzi

Master's thesis

Anotácia:

Industry 4.0 technologies are considered to change drastically our production processes, our economy and our society, determining the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution. Yet, these benefits are encountering some obstacles in fully materialise. Small and medium-sized enterprises – which are the backbone of the European economy – struggle to embrace these technologies’ and therefore the process of technologies’ adoption and diffusion is haltered. This study through a field research in seven Italian SMEs tries to understand the factors that facilitate or impede the transition towards Industry 4.0 technologies. The findings suggest that government in helping companies with fiscal incentives was key, but the biggest challenge is now the development of the adequate skills for the new working method.

Abstract:

Industry 4.0 technologies are considered to change drastically our production processes, our economy and our society, determining the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution. Yet, these benefits are encountering some obstacles in fully materialise. Small and medium-sized enterprises – which are the backbone of the European economy – struggle to embrace these technologies’ and therefore the process of technologies’ adoption and diffusion is haltered. This study through a field research in seven Italian SMEs tries to understand the factors that facilitate or impede the transition towards Industry 4.0 technologies. The findings suggest that government in helping companies with fiscal incentives was key, but the biggest challenge is now the development of the adequate skills for the new working method.

Keywords

Industry 4.0, SMEs, Fourth Industrial Revolution, technology adoption, technology diffusion, technological change, production processes

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 14. 10. 2019

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 19. 7. 2019
• Vedúci: Drs. Linda Keijzer
• Oponent: doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Oldřich Krpec, Ph.D.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Social Studies

Master programme / odbor:
International Territorial Studies / European Governance