Enablers and inhibitors of Industry 4.0: results from a survey of industrial companies in Norway

Abstract

Since 2011 when it was announced, Industry 4.0 has inspired a series of governmental and private programs worldwide. Nevertheless, it is an emerging research field and the academia calls for further explorative research, including on the enablers and inhibitors of Industry 4.0 implementation at national level. This paper addresses this topic based on a cross-sectional analysis of data collected through a two-step survey of 49 companies in Norway, 13 suppliers to the Oil and Gas industry and 36 from different manufacturing industries. The findings contribute primarily to the Training and Continuing Professional Development priority area in Kagermann et al. (2013).