The Influence of Technology Transfer in Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is increasingly present in the academic and industrial environment, however, there are still barriers and difficulties for its implementation. Technology Transfer (TT) has a relevant role as a facilitator in the digital transformation process and is directly linked to the importance of increasing the knowledge base in I4.0 technologies. In this sense, this study aimed to develop a maturity model of Industry 4.0, where Technology Transfer influences its maturity level, in order to facilitate its implementation. For this, first a Conceptual Framework that presents the existing influence between TT and I4.0 was carried out, developed from a vast literature review. To prove this framework, the I4.0-TT Maturity Model was developed. This model was based on the DEMATEL multi-criteria method, because it is based on the influence between the factors (I4.0 and TT) and their dimensions. The results showed that there is indeed a mutual influence between these two factors. TT can be seen as a strategy for the implementation of 4.0 concepts and technologies to occur more easily.