Knowledge management and digital transformation for Industry 4.0: a structured literature review

Abstract

This paper provides a structured literature review (SLR) on knowledge management (KM), digital transformation (DT), and Industry 4.0, defining these new research streams’ interactions, ties, and interdependencies. Playing an essential role in a progressive discipline, our research summarises the state of the art of the past literature using rigorous methodological approach. The researchers adopt the Scopus database in their analysis and use the Bibliometrix R package. The analysis reveals 761 peer-reviewed English articles. The study shows several research clusters: KM and DT; KM and innovation ecosystems; KM and frontier technologies; and KM, decision-making, and Industry 4.0. Additionally, our paper contributes to identifying a flourishing field of research that has uncovered a previously unknown and exciting link between KM, DT, and the public sector. Finally, the article emphasises the crucial role of DT in KM development, addressing future research perspectives as quantitative and joint academics and practitioners’ analysis.