Conditions for the Development of Industry 4.0 from the Human Capital Technological Competences Perspective

The so-called Industry 4.0 supports its emergence and growth in the use of artificial intelligence techniques for the development of production systems whose capacity, efficiency and adaptability exceed the performance of current computer-based systems. Intelligent manufacturing corresponds to the digitization and interconnection of devices for the construction of production and supply chains that share a continuous flow of information. This revolution involves the development of technologies such as the Internet of Things, data analytics and cyber-systems aligned with machine learning, among others. The development and sustainability of these advanced manufacturing systems represent an area of opportunity for the growth of the technological competitiveness of regional economies. There are, however, training needs among engineering professionals for the development of specific updated technological competences; as well as a need of general conditions for the establishment of innovation networks between academia and the productive sector. This paper uses bibliographic techniques to examine existing literature and conducts a review on Industry 4.0. As a result, it presents an overview of the related technological trends and discuss the role of higher education institutions in the development of competitive human capital. There are also multiple areas of opportunity in the medium and long term to strength university-industry collaboration programs related to this adoption.