Revisiting the theoretical evolution of Industry 4.0: a thematic analysis of research focus

Abstract

Industry 4.0 (I40), which has been mentioned frequently in recent years, is a collective concept used to express that the developing industry is now in its fourth phase. Enterprises, industries, and even governments are developing strategies and building technology roadmaps for I40. Also, it has occupied a prominent place in the literature, but the comprehensive and systematic studies related to the position of I40 are very limited. Therefore, we aim to investigate the I40 literature and to carry out thematic analysis to reveal the research trends and gaps. The study includes 786 articles on the Scopus database. As a result, articles are mostly based on new tools, technologies and the application of them to manufacturing, while the 'human' dimension is ignored. On the contrary, the technical aspect of I40 is ignored while the effect of I40 on human and social dimensions is focused on the studies prepared by Russian academics.