Digitalization and Cybersecurity Challenges and Solutions for Industry 4.0 in Manufacturing SMEs

Industry 4.0, also known as the fourth industrial revolution, puts digitalization and connectivity into the manufacturing process. This enables companies to optimize their production, increases their flexibility, and has the potential to reduce costs and waste. However, this also puts forth new requirements for production companies, especially Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs), which might struggle to take advantage of the Industry 4.0 paradigm because of lack of skills and funding. Furthermore, when connecting machines, the state of cybersecurity is often neglected, which can have devastating consequences for production uptime, company reputation, and costs. We study the impact of digitalization and cybersecurity on manufacturing SMEs and their effects on technology adaptation. We also analyze which concrete steps are taken and provide recommendations for SMEs regarding a secure journey to digitize their production.