Exploratory study on adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland: A Comprehensive Review of Barriers and Opportunities

Industry 4.0 represents a comprehensive digital transformation in the way companies operate, incorporating advanced technologies. While Industry 4.0 and similar technologies have many conceivable benefits for manufacturing, most of these technologies are developed for or by large companies. This article proposes to investigate the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland, exploring the challenges faced by these companies and identifying the potential opportunities arising from this adoption. An exploratory systematic review of the literature was made. In total, 43 studies satisfied the screening and selection criteria. The consolidated factors were grouped into categories to help understand the challenges faced by small and medium-sized companies in the transition to Industry 4.0 in Ireland. This research observed several barriers for SMEs, but also identified numerous opportunities related to Industry 4.0. The main barriers analyzed in Ireland are organizational and technical barriers and the main opportunities are associated with horizontal and vertical integration opportunities.