The Role of Computer Science and Software Technology in Organizing Universities for Industry 4.0 and Beyond

Based on intensive cooperation with four large companies, a comparative analysis of the recent developments in industry, university organizations, computer science and software technology is presented. Within this context, also the Industry 4.0 phenomena is discussed. This paper further identifies the necessary organizational structures of universities to assist companies in their transition processes, defines the relevant sub-disciplines in computer science and finally describes the software engineering and technology challenges in designing and implementing economical and robust industrial systems.