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Recent advances in technology have accelerated the Fourth Industrial Revolution. With the emergence of artificial intelligence, not only the manufacturing sector but also all sectors of society are expected to undergo changes in the future. In this age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it is going to be more important for learners to improve their creativity than to acquire knowledge. So scholars are exploring new ways of teaching to cultivate suitable talent for the future society. Among these various methods of education, Maker Education at Micro Manufacturing Space is recognized as the optimal method for the AI era. This study, in light of this, analyzed the operation of Micro Manufacturing Space, which is located in a university, and further suggested the direction of development of Micro Manufacturing Space in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The results of this study are as follows. At the university’s Micro Manufacturing Space, students can be trained to think innovatively and improve creativity. In addition, this space can also be used as an open learning and meeting space for university students to visit freely. Moreover, the place can be built for the purpose of a start-up space. Therefore, future Micro Manufacturing Space in universities, as it were, will definitely prove to be a multifunctional space providing support to foster and improve creativity of the main force of the future of society. The findings can be used as theoretical basic data in the creation of a Micro Manufacturing Space for design thingking.

Health systems were severely strained at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the demand for personal protection equipment (PPE) could not be met. The challenge faced by many countries was how to innovate quickly to create PPE and other needed solutions. The subsequent research gap identified was a lack of practical insights on how to support such novel technology adoption, particularly those that stem from Industry 4.0 (I4.0) within a developing world context. To address this previous literature on I4.0 technology, the role of innovation environments and theoretical principles of technology adoption was reviewed. A practical case from an academic makerspace based in a South African university was then assessed. It was selected due to its direct role in rapid solutions development of PPE using additive manufacturing (AM) until such a time that manufacturers could set up production on a larger scale. It was found that AM and other novel technologies have facilitated innovative solutions to address the significant impacts of the pandemic. Key to which were practices identified of an innovation environment that supported early-stage adoption of AM to achieve this even in a developing country context. The findings imply that innovation environments offer an agile platform to leverage innovation by streamlining certain critical success factors of I4.0 technology adoption, which is presented in a model. However, individual skills developed by such environments to enhance innovation capabilities within this paradigm require further research.

This paper approaches a case study of Airbus Spain in the context of the studies on digital transformation in the workplace, with the aim of examining how the company manages the impact of digital transformation in the workplace and its impact on work organization and job quality. Airbus has based its technological change in 3D printing and additive layer manufacturing (ALM), with deep implications in its work processes, training and required skills. The experience of the social actors involved in these processes is analyzed by applying qualitative methods (key informant’s interviews). The results point to an increase in the autonomy and responsibility of the employees due to the implementation of new digital technologies that have brought about a change in organizational culture. Positive effects on job quality are also found through the reduction of work risks, improvement of the physical and social environment, reduction of the intensity of physical work and improvement of employees’ career prospects.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, marked by emerging/disruptive technologies like mobile internet, big data, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), immersive media (VR/AR/MR), and the Internet of Things (IoT), is transforming cities and promoting urban development. This paper argues that these technologies foster urban studies and implementation in three pathways: methodology, epistemology, and practice. First, the new data environment offers a foundation for quantitative and objective urban studies, enabling researchers to treat cities as laboratories and conduct city experiments worldwide. Second, emerging technologies are reshaping contemporary urban life and space, promoting the update of urban theories. Third, these technologies are expected to be applied as new elements in the urban planning and design processes to create smart urban spatial forms that cater to contemporary needs. Overall, this paper highlights the potential significance of emerging technologies for urban research and development in terms of research methods and data support, theoretical updates and iterations, and practical urban planning and design.

Project management (PM) skill is in high demand across the world. There is a shortage of skilled project managers in South Africa as the demand for PM skills in South Africa has increased significantly across a wide variety of industries. This shortage is exacerbated by the significant volumes of investment in infrastructure and services. The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), has initiated a digital transformation across industries, including the PM profession. This revolution will drive the evolution of the PM profession in the years ahead and lead to the emergence of Project Management 4.0. Through a bibliometric approach, this chapter examines the evolution of the PM concept in South Africa by reviewing the various paradigm shifts in the profession from an “old” traditional model to the current “new” paradigm. This was achieved by mapping key knowledge areas and co-occurring keywords by identifying trends in research on the PM concept in the built environment domain within a 26-year period in works indexed in the Scopus database. The chapter also examines the implications of the 4IR for the PM profession and how project managers can leverage on this latest wave of digitalization. Finally, the chapter predicts both the hard and soft skills that project managers will be required to have in order to thrive in the fast-paced digital era and to make a meaningful contribution to the efforts to attain national aspirations in South Africa. The study concludes by presenting thought-provoking and practical ideas for the South Africa PM bodies, PM researchers, and higher education institutions as they revamp and restructure their curricula and research agenda to align with the coming mandate of Project Management 4.0.

This chapter concludes the book by synthesising its key findings. Moreover, we point out areas for further research around the future of globalisation, development, intellectual property, war. democracy, the nature of technological asymmetries and their implications and policy imperatives, opportunities for theoretical updating, and the relative merits of quantitative and qualitative analysis.

This research is dedicated to solving the problem of ensuring inclusiveness in the digital economy, towards which a crucial step is the precise measurement of inclusiveness. The research aims to form a comprehensive scientific understanding of the inclusiveness of the digital economy and quantitatively measure this inclusiveness systemically. The authors explore international empirical experience and conduct a quantitative analysis of the inclusiveness of the digital economy based on official statistics for 2023. The primary method employed in this research is variance analysis. First, in the countries leading in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the digitalization of economic sectors occurs much less evenly than in countries that joined this revolution later, where the balance of digitalization across economic sectors is highest. Second, differences in the level of digitalization of the economy among countries within established categories are significant; the categories are homogeneous, especially the category of countries leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Third, although generally significant, differences in the level of digitalization among countries worldwide are critical only in the category of countries leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As a result, the authors conclude that the problem of ensuring inclusiveness in the digital economy is most acute in the countries leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution and is weakly expressed in countries that joined later than others. The theoretical significance of the obtained results lies in the fact that they formed a systemic scientific representation of the inclusiveness of the digital economy in the uniformity of digitalization across sectors, countries, and categories of countries. The practical significance of the research findings is expressed in the fact that they essentially represent the results of comprehensive monitoring of the inclusiveness of the digital economy in 2023. The results of the conducted monitoring are useful for improving contemporary practices of developing and implementing state policies in the field of digitalization management and combating inequality.

Health systems were severely strained at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the demand for personal protection equipment (PPE) could not be met. The challenge faced by many countries was how to innovate quickly to create PPE and other needed solutions. The subsequent research gap identified was a lack of practical insights on how to support such novel technology adoption, particularly those that stem from Industry 4.0 (I4.0) within a developing world context. To address this previous literature on I4.0 technology, the role of innovation environments and theoretical principles of technology adoption was reviewed. A practical case from an academic makerspace based in a South African university was then assessed. It was selected due to its direct role in rapid solutions development of PPE using additive manufacturing (AM) until such a time that manufacturers could set up production on a larger scale. It was found that AM and other novel technologies have facilitated innovative solutions to address the significant impacts of the pandemic. Key to which were practices identified of an innovation environment that supported early-stage adoption of AM to achieve this even in a developing country context. The findings imply that innovation environments offer an agile platform to leverage innovation by streamlining certain critical success factors of I4.0 technology adoption, which is presented in a model. However, individual skills developed by such environments to enhance innovation capabilities within this paradigm require further research.

This chapter proposes four key foundational technologies in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, collectively termed ABCD technologies: artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing, and digital technology. While the four technologies emerged independently across different time frames, they have become increasingly interwoven over time, driving the advent of new technologies. This chapter delves into the dynamics of their interplay and articulates their critical role in catalyzing a variety of emerging technologies. This study also highlights how their relevance differs across the emerging technologies, as illustrated by three examples: ChatGPT, the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchains. Moreover, the study provides implications for both firms and policymakers on how to effectively leverage the four foundational technologies and respond to the fast-changing technology environment in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and beyond.

Developing countries are witnessing an increased use of indigenous knowledge (IK) products by people of all backgrounds who use them for various purposes including maintenance of human health. In recognizing the importance of indigenous knowledge, several initiatives have been taken by governments. This chapter explores the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and its emerging technologies on the management of indigenous knowledge in Tanzania. It also discusses the background information on Tanzania and its indigenous knowledge. This chapter argues that Tanzania has made considerable progress in recognizing the value of indigenous knowledge for competitiveness advantages, but more needs to be done to address the identified challenges in managing such knowledge in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This chapter offers recommendations on how to harness the potential of the 4IR to the management of indigenous knowledge. The conclusion explains that emerging technologies have not been sufficiently and effectively used in managing indigenous knowledge as has been done in education, banking, and other industrial sectors. Some strategies are discussed to address these challenges in managing indigenous knowledge including capacity building through education to all indigenous knowledge stakeholders.