Site Selection for a Training Centre Focused on Industry 4.0 by Using DEMATEL and COPRAS

Abstract

One of the most important elements of Industry 4.0 and digitalization is human. The change of technological infrastructures and processes will also change the qualities sought in human resources concomitantly. Requirements of the digital world will replace the existing knowledge and experience. For this reason, whether white- or blue-collar employees must acquire the competence and skills that will meet these requirements. While the existing processes show the characteristic of change; the white-collar personnel to manage these processes should be compatible with this transformation and well equipped with the capability of managing the relevant processes. On the other hand, although the number of blue-collar employees is expected to decrease; a great need for more qualified practitioners compatible with the digital world will arise. It is obvious that short term on-the-job trainings will not be sufficient. This is the duty of universities as well as the private sector. Beyond the programs of the existing vocational and technical education high schools and universities, the need is obvious for raising specialists that will implement and manage the digital technology and design it, if necessary. It was planned to establish a “digital transformation training/application center” totally within the scope of digital technology and Industry 4.0, in order to ensure that the students receive their trainings within the real system both from the trainers and practitioners in a practical way. In this study which is about the problem of selecting a site for this center, the selection criteria were determined by considering these needs and requirements. A novel hybrid methodology is applied in this study for the problem of multiple criteria decisions making. DEMATEL method is used to determine the weight of the criteria and the COPRAS method is used to evaluate the alternatives based on these weighted criteria and select the site of establishment.