Leveraging on intra- and inter-organizational collaboration in Industry 4.0 adoption for knowledge creation and innovation

Purpose – This paper aims at investigating the impact of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies on knowledge creation for innovation purposes by assessing the relationships among the variety of I4.0 technologies adopted (breadth I4.0), the penetration of these technologies within the firm’s value chain activities (depth I4.0), and the mediating role of both internal (inter-functional) and external (with knowledge-intensive business services; KIBS) collaborations in this process. Design/methodology/approach – The study employed a quantitative research design. By administering a survey to entrepreneurs, chief operation officers, or managers in charge of the operational and technological processes of Italian manufacturing firms, we collected 137 useful questionnaires. To test our theoretical framework and hypotheses, we ran regression and mediation analyses. Findings – First, results highlight the positive link between breadth I4.0 and depth I4.0. Moreover, they show the key role played by increased collaboration among the firm’s business functions and by relationships with KIBS in creating knowledge to innovate processes and products when I4.0 technologies are adopted. Research implications – The variety of I4.0 technologies adopted enables a firm to use such technologies in various value chain activities. However, the penetration of I4.0 into the firm’s value chain activities (depth I4.0) does not per se directly imply the production of new knowledge, for which a firm needs internal collaboration among different business functions, in particular with the production area, or collaboration with external partners that favor I4.0 implementation, such as KIBS. Practical implications – To achieve innovation goals by creating new knowledge, especially in the manufacturing industries, firms should encourage internal and external collaboration when I4.0 technologies are adopted. Moreover, policy makers should not only consider fiscal incentives for the adoption of such technologies, but also encourage the building of networks between adopting firms and external actors. Originality – The study is one of the first attempt that provides empirical evidence of how I4.0 enables the creation of knowledge to innovate processes and products, highlighting the relevance of collaboration both within the company and with external partners.