Summing up, it can be concluded that enterprises – depending on their size – feel more or less
well-prepared for Industry 4.0. Large enterprises tend to feel better prepared than small
enterprises. In other words, SMEs still show deficits compared to large enterprises.
Implications for the practical implementation are amongst other things that enterprises are
indeed willing to face digitization/Industry 4.0, but that risks/obstacles reduce their readiness
or slow down the process. Furthermore, the enterprise size plays an important role. This leads
to the following practical challenges:,
insecurities, like for example data security or maturity of Industry 4.0 technologies
have to be reduced;
• the benefit of Industry 4.0 has to be transferred from vision level to reality level;
• investments in Industry 4.0 technologies have to be encouraged by public funding in
order to lower the barriers explicitly for SMEs;
• internal staff qualification programs and training programs for schools and universities
have to be called for;
• SMEs have to be supported separately as they are less capable of coping with the
financial, technological and staffing challenges than large enterprises.