Adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies: an analysis of small and medium-sized companies in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

This paper analyzed the level of adoption and compared characteristics of adopters and non-adopters of Industry 4.0 technologies. Primary data for the year 2021 were collected by means of a structured questionnaire applied to 30 small and medium-sized companies of the metallurgical sector, who operate with machining processes, in the state of São Paulo. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical measures and correlation estimates. The technologies adopted by the companies in the sample were: Cloud Computing (10 companies), Horizontal and Vertical Integration Systems (5 companies), Big Data (4 companies) and Industrial Internet of Things (4 companies). The comparative analysis between the characteristics of adopters and non-adopters showed that: (I) adopters have, much more frequently, employees with ICT capabilities and also more frequently hire ICT consulting services; (II) the use of ERP and MRP systems is much higher among companies that adopt Industry 4.0 technologies; (III) adopters participate more frequently in cooperation programs with Universities, Science and Technology Institutes or Research and Technological Development Promotion Agencies; (IV) companies that adopt 4.0 technologies have a greater perception of relative advantage and compatibility of these technologies.