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Regional Survey

DIGITAL REGIONS Project

Big Items

Job Creation
Majority of respondents believe that implementing successful Industry 4.0 would lead to additional employment.

COVID-19 Impact
COVID-19 is expected to impact 85% of these respondents.

Business Goals & Challenges

Most critical for competitive advantage:
Automation of manufacturing process 62%, then data analytics by 27% to reduce costs.

Most critical for market challenges:
Product/process innovation (39%) and to enter other national markets (28%).

Envisaged I4.0 strategic goals:
Introduce new products/services (30%).
Increase gross margins (21%).
Increase efficiency (18%).

Industry 4.0 Technologies

Highest impact technology:
Robotics/Cobotics (48%) followed by Artificial Intelligence.

Strong interest in simulation tools (62%) for product or process design.

Need for Dissemination

Knowledge of I4.0 concepts:
Most companies 62% are not so familiar or somewhat familiar.

Information to understand I4.0 challenges/opportunities:
Little or None: 54%.
Moderate amount: 41%.

DEVISE project

Constraints

Lack of knowledge, information overload:
Of digital solutions that can be applied, benefits of implementation.

Concerns about implementing digital transformation:
Time involved in effecting change management.

Digital skills within the company:
Lack of digitally skilled staff for implementing and ongoing operations.

Opportunities

Collaboration/networking/clustering:
Need for suppliers and buyers of technology to have mechanisms to meet, discuss, etc.

Main technologies opportunities:
Data analytics, process automation, digital training, digital marketing, online communities.

Digital technologies identified as having potential:
Internet of things, virtual reality (VR) / augmented reality (AR), blockchain, digitisation for productivity, green technologies.