Factors Influencing 4.0 Technology Adoption in Manufacturing SMEs in an Emerging Country

Abstract

By considering the lack of studies of the factors that influence the adoption of 4.0 technologies in manufacturing SMEs, this study proposes a model that examines the aspects that motivate, benefit and obstruct the implementation of emerging technologies, as well as the role of the institutional environment, for a developing country. A qualitative approach and interview method were used to study 4.0 technologies in the “core” productive processes adopted in 25 SMEs. The gathered data were analysed and processed in NVivo 12 software. Two groups of categories (nodes) were obtained, within which related subcategories (subnodes) were located. These two groups are existing and emerging categories, which reflect the aspects that motivate, benefit and obstruct the adoption of 4.0 emerging technologies. The identification of an emerging variable in the study of inhibitors and facilitators of the adoption and implementation of 4.0 technologies is a valuable contribution because it allows us to account for the problematisation of financing as an important variable in the processes of introduction into Industry 4.0 for SMEs. This proposal may facilitate public policies at regional and national level to promote and advance in this area of innovation for SMEs.