INDUSTRY 4.0 IN BRAZIL, IRELAND AND ARGENTINA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

摘要

Industry 4.0 has drawn the attention of researchers around the world for its potential ability to increase competitiveness of the companies that can use it. Although much research has emphasized the technological aspect, little attention has been paid to the challenges and opportunities that the companies which intend to implement it expect to face. Based on secondary data this paper involved a research made with 135 companies in Ireland, 246 in Brazil and 305 in Argentina, to study the expected benefits and internal and external barriers that these 686 have in relation to the implementation of Industry 4.0. The practical implication and originality of this study is to present common points and some differences that these companies have, so researchers can guide their studies to try to overcome the main barriers, improving potential opportunities and helping to link research with practice more effectively.