Adapting Universities for Sustainability Education in Industry 4.0: Channel of Challenges and Opportunities

Multi-dimensional challenges in the Indonesian social science information technology-based learning: A systematic literature review

The development of information technology (IT) has an essential role in education today. Most teachers in Indonesia utilize the traditional method rather than the advancement of IT. Through digital media, the social science learning process becomes fascinating, improves students' skills, and is more engaging. However, implementing Information Technology-based Learning (ITBL) takes a lot of work. It comes with tremendous challenges that should be addressed carefully. Many previous studies explain the feasibility of the media, its effectiveness, and the advantages of using IT-based learning media. However, they still need to present the challenges in IT-based social science learning, even more so in the Indonesian context. Given the vast landscape of ITBL in Indonesia, a case study approach could entail extensive fieldwork, data collection, and data analysis. Therefore, A literature review can be carried out with less resource investment, making it a pragmatic choice for researchers with limited time and resources. This research aims to discover the challenges of students, teachers, and educational institutions in IT-based social science learning in the Indonesian context. The search protocol is based on the P.R.I.S.M.A. (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis). This systematic literature review results were obtained from 315 articles discussing the challenges of IT-based social science learning published from 2018 until 2022. This research reveals that most challenges students face are internal/self-challenges. For instance, there needs to be more self-regulation and necessary digital literation. On the other hand, teachers' most significant challenge is their lack of skills and experience in implementing IT-based learning media and their inability to operate complex software, even if they have poor digital literacy. The need for facilities and technological training presents challenges for institutions. The need to procure IT infrastructure is due to the difficulty of reaching certain areas (the terrain) in Indonesia. The challenges encountered by students, teachers, and educational institutions are not exclusive to any particular group and extend beyond their respective domains. Addressing the multi-dimensional challenges would be more efficient. The poor digital literacy challenges occurred in other nations, too. This particular challenge can be solved through instructional training. Moreover, the Indonesian government offers numerous free digital training programs for individuals or institutions called "Digitalent."

Demonstration Laboratory of Industry 4.0 Retrofitting and Operator 4.0 Solutions: Education towards Industry 5.0

One of the main challenges of Industry 4.0 is how advanced sensors and sensing technologies can be applied through the Internet of Things layers of existing manufacturing. This is the so-called Brownfield Industry 4.0, where the different types and ages of machines and processes need to be digitalized. Smart retrofitting is the umbrella term for solutions to show how we can digitalize manufacturing machines. This problem is critical in the case of solutions to support human workers. The Operator 4.0 concept shows how we can efficiently support workers on the shop floor. The key indicator is the readiness level of a company, and the main bottleneck is the technical knowledge of the employees. This study proposes an education framework and a related Operator 4.0 laboratory that prepares students for the development and application of Industry 5.0 technologies. The concept of intelligent space is proposed as a basis of the educational framework, which can solve the problem of monitoring the stochastic nature of operators in production processes. The components of the intelligent space are detailed through the layers of the IoT in the form of a case study conducted at the laboratory. The applicability of indoor positioning systems is described with the integration of machine-, operator- and environment-based sensor data to obtain real-time information from the shop floor. The digital twin of the laboratory is developed in a discrete event simulator, which integrates the data from the shop floor and can control the production based on the simulation results. The presented framework can be utilized to design education for the generation of Industry 5.0.

Industry 4.0: A Chance or a Threat for Gen Z? The Perspective of Economics Students

Major transformations in the sphere of the economy that Industry 4.0 brings are also reflected in young people’s expectations regarding the development of their professional career. Existing social relations are being modified nowadays and new concepts of building them are being developed. The aim of the present article is to present the expectations, fears and hopes of young people related to the course of Industrial Revolution 4.0 in the context of their future life. For a simpler perception of the research objectives of students, the research was narrowed down to the topic of building relationships with robots, which are one of the pillars of Industry 4.0. The research methods are based on the literature studies and an experiment conducted among the students graduating from economic faculties and entering a strongly changing labour market. The experiment was qualitative. The students wrote a short essay on the topic of whether a friendship between a human and a robot is possible. One group of students was shown a short emotional clip about the relationship between the boy and the robot. Regardless of the attempt to influence the message with a film, both groups of students hardly noticed the negative effects of digitisation on building relationships and social trust. The relationship between human being and advanced technology will develop in the future, which will result in the emergence of new relationships between humans and artificial intelligence.

Structure Optimization of Academic Disciplines for Universities Featuring Energy under the Roadmap towards Carbon Neutrality: Results from a Hybrid Fuzzy-Based Method

The goal of carbon neutrality is an extensive and profound economic and social change, which will have far-reaching impacts on industrial structure, energy structure, and social consumption structure. Energy sectors will face in-depth adjustment, and it is essential to optimize major structures consequently due to the foresight of talent training. This research first employs Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis, Analytic Network Process (ANP), and the weighted fuzzy Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solutions (TOPSIS) to formulate and analyze the structure optimization of academic disciplines, and finally, the universities featuring mining are taken as an example to verify the feasibility of the method. Results reveal that the integration of ANP, SWOT, and the fuzzy TOPSIS evaluation method is able to qualify the assessment for academic discipline optimization. The specialty structure optimization results should focus on clean, intelligent, and sustainable development of the coal industry. The first priority is to increase relevant research on sustainable development of the mining industry, with a priority value of 0.0435. The modern coal chemistry and intelligent coal mining are also highly valued as the options for achieving carbon neutrality. Adding natural gas-related majors is underestimated as the least recognized priority, with a priority value of 0.0133. Suggestions and implications are provided for structure optimization of academic disciplines in universities featuring energy.

A Study of the Competitiveness and Development Strategy of Korean Venture Companies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Using SWOT/AHP

This study derives the SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) factors and competitiveness index necessary for Korean venture companies to succeed in the fourth industrial revolution. It suggests a SWOT strategy as well as an action plan in which the government and related parties prepare to secure global competitiveness, along with a very basic and systematic analysis. A total of 21 SWOT sub-factors were selected through a literature review and report analysis and were evaluated by various industry, academics, and policy experts via a Delphi survey. The results of pairwise comparative analysis using the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) technique showed that the importance of the 4 SWOT quadrants could be arranged in order as strength (48%) → opportunity (25%) → threat (16%) → weakness (11%). Looking at the competitiveness index according to industry, ‘Artificial intelligence·Intelligent Robots·Autonomous driving (a)’, ‘Blockchain·Fintech (d)’, ‘Bio-health (f)’, and ‘Big data·Cloud (c)’ possessed high competitiveness. The ‘Internet of Things·5G (b)’, ‘3D printing·Virtual reality (g)’, and ‘New materials·Energy (e)’ industries were the least competent industries. Optimal strategies derived through an analysis of the competitiveness index are as follows: the S-O (Strength-Opportunity) strategy was optimal for industries such as ‘Internet of things·5G (b)’, ‘Big data·Cloud (c)’, ‘Bio-health (f)’, the S-T (Strength-Threat) strategy was optimal for ‘Artificial intelligence·Intelligent Robots·Autonomous driving (a)’, ‘Blockchain·Fintech (d)’ and ‘New materials·Energy (e)’. Finally, the W-T (Weakness -Threat) strategy should be prioritized for the ‘3D printing·Virtual Reality (g)’ industry. The implication of the study outlined above is that policies supporting the strengths and weaknesses of a company must be established beforehand for Korean venture companies to secure competitiveness in the fourth industrial revolution. First, it is of the utmost importance to develop a business faster by utilizing the excellent ICT infrastructure of Korea. Second, the Korean government should take a leading role in mediating the sharing of the resources (manpower, technology, equipment, etc.) that are available from each university, company, and research institute. Third, the government should prepare a technology development roadmap for commercialization as well as source technology for the fourth industrial revolution.

Multi-Objective Design Optimization of Flexible Manufacturing Systems Using Design of Simulation Experiments: A Comparative Study

One of the basic components of Industry 4.0 is the design of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS), which involves the choice of parameters to optimize its performance. Discrete event simulation (DES) models allow the user to understand the operation of dynamic and stochastic system performance and to support FMS diagnostics and design. In combination with DES models, optimization methods are often used to search for the optimal designs, which, above all, involve more than one objective function to be optimized simultaneously. These methods are called the multi-objective simulation–optimization (MOSO) method. Numerous MOSO methods have been developed in the literature, which spawned many proposed MOSO methods classifications. However, the performance of these methods is not guaranteed because there is an absence of comparative studies. Moreover, previous classifications have been focused on general MOSO methods and rarely related to the specific area of manufacturing design. For this reason, a new conceptual classification of MOSO used in FMS design is proposed. After that, four MOSO methods are selected, according to this classification, and compared through a detailed case study related to the FMS design problem. All of these methods studied are based on Design of Experiments (DoE). Two of them are metamodel-based approaches that integrate Goal Programming (GP) and Desirability Function (DF), respectively. The other two methods are not metamodel-based approaches, which integrate Gray Relational Analysis (GRA) and the VIKOR method, respectively. The comparative results show that the GP and VIKOR methods can result in better optimization than DF and GRA methods. Thus, the use of the simulation metamodel cannot prove its superiority in all situations.

Role of Academics in Transferring Knowledge and Skills on Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Edge Computing

Universities play an essential role in preparing human resources for the industry of the future. By providing the proper knowledge, they can ensure that graduates will be able to adapt to the ever-changing industrial sector. However, to achieve this, the courses provided by academia must cover the current and future industrial needs by considering the trends in scientific research and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Edge Computing (EC). This work presents the survey results conducted among academics to assess the current state of university courses, regarding the level of knowledge and skills provided to students about the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Edge Computing. The novelty of the work is that (a) the research was carried out in several European countries, (b) the current curricula of universities from different countries were analyzed, and (c) the results present the teachers' perspective. To conduct the research, the analysis of the relevant literature took place initially to explore the issues of the presented subject, which will increasingly concern the industry in the near future. Based on the literature review results and analysis of the universities' curricula involved in this study, a questionnaire was prepared and shared with academics. The outcomes of the analysis reveal the areas that require more attention from scholars and possibly modernization of curricula.

Characteristics and Evolution of China’s Industry–University–Research Collaboration to Promote the Sustainable Development: Based on Policy Text Analysis

Collaborative innovation is an effective way to realize national innovation and sustainable development. The Chinese government has issued a series of Industry–University–Research (IUR) policies and regulations in recent decades to effectively promote the development of national scientific and technological innovation. Exploring the characteristics and evolution of IUR collaborative policy is critical for the healthy development of IUR and subsequent policy formulation. In this study, we collected IUR policy texts at the national level of China from 1992 to 2020 as the research object. On the basis of policy tool theory, a three-dimensional analysis framework of “Policy tool–Policy theme–Evolution stage” was constructed and studied using content analysis and social network analysis methods. Through the quantitative statistical analysis, we find that China’s IUR policies have experienced four development stages. Among all policy tools, the supply-side IUR ones are sufficient, whereas demand-side policy tools are insufficient. The service system policy theme is lacking relative to other themes. In addition, the application of information technology (IT) policies is prominent. Therefore, we suggest optimizing the policy structure in combination with social characteristics and strengthening the establishment of service system innovation. Enhancing the role of IT to promote innovation policies is also recommended.

Designing and Developing a Smart Yogurt Filling Machine in the Industry 4.0 Era

Industry 4.0 allows for greater flexibility in production processes so that products can be customized (i.e., mass customization). Innovative production techniques in an industrial liquid/yogurt filling machine (YFM) improved efficiency in the beverage industry. In this study, we have introduced the second phase designed control architecture of our YFM based on the concepts of industry 4.0 incorporating an NFC platform for improving customer satisfaction. Especially during this pandemic period, wireless technologies have been ubiquitous and pervasive for customized products. The basic components of the YFM have been described. High-level control architecture programmed fully automated filling operations, and the design stage of the development of a PFC-based controller for the YFM is elaborated. For the evaluation of the proposed control system, the operations of the electric/pneumatic input devices and actuators were simulated on FluidSIM-MecLab. The results of the simulation verify the design logic of the PFC-based controller. Comparisons were made between different production types using the developing YFM. A complex learning environment replicating a real production system to understand, learn, and apply modern manufacturing approaches has been developed. Through the creation of this YFM, the academic environment and industrial applications are combined. Consequently, the problem verification is becoming more realistic and more efficient than online (trial and error) automation programming.

Implementing Industry 4.0 through Cleaner Production and Social Stakeholders: Holistic and Sustainable Model

Although Industry 4.0 has received much attention in recent years due to the possibility of increasing companies’ productivity, the implementation process is complex. The aim of this study is to present a holistic model for implementing Industry 4.0 based on cleaner production as a fundamental tool for the development of production systems that meet the Sustainable Development 04026-002Goals (SDGs), and social stakeholders that cooperate with this implementation process, helping to develop sustainable infrastructure, processes and technologies to increase the sustainable transformation of these companies towards Industry 4.0. The method used was literature research, and the Delphi technique was used to ask specialists to contribute with their experience to evaluate and propose improvements to the model, in the form of a consensus. The model contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals 9, 12 and 15. This holistic and sustainable model is a contribution to theory and practice, helping executives, technicians, entrepreneurs and those involved with Industry 4.0 to base the implementation process in the needs and specificities of each company, avoiding the “one fits all” models, considering the peculiarities of each company and the complexity of the implementation process in a more efficient and collaborative digital production ecosystems base, seeking to reduce inequalities, through the joint effort of social stakeholders to find ways to restore and/or improve social harmony, impacted by Industry 4.0.

Customers’ willingness of irresponsible industry 4.0 companies to co-create sustainable practices

Purpose

In this regard, this paper aims to wonder how willing to co-create sustainable practices customers of irresponsible Industry 4.0 (I4.0) companies are? With this purpose, the authors began introducing I4.0 and sustainability, showing their theoretical gaps.

Design/methodology/approach

I4.0 has recently spread with its technological developments and social, economic and political ambitions, facing challenges-related, for example, to the implementation of sustainable practices and the stakeholders’ participation.

Findings

Then the authors conduct a literature review following a sequential mix-method approach that begins with a bibliometric analysis and ends with a content study to propose a conceptual model for I4.0 and sustainability. Once the authors understood the theoretical gaps in the framework of the conceptual model, the authors conducted an empirical verification between clients of a Colombian company of the I4.0 belonging to the logistic sector, specifically of the deliveries, asking them about the labor issues that the company faces with delivery people and their willingness to co-create. The authors analyzed the collected data through a structural equation modeling model, where the authors found that customers’ willingness to co-create depends on intrinsic behaviors like “responsible behavior,” followed by extrinsic behaviors such as “helping.”

Originality/value

In fact, stakeholders may support companies, but customers must learn how to assume a critical posture during their purchase decision.

Analysis of Uncertainties and Levels of Foreknowledge in Relation to Major Features of Emerging Technologies—The Context of Foresight Research for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

One of the key roles in the development of Industry 4.0 systems is played by “emerging technologies” as new tools with promising—though with a high level of uncertainty—capabilities. The management of such systems should be based on a comprehensive—future-oriented—research approach. Such activities are enabled by the foresight methodology. The main purpose of this publication is to attempt to answer the following research question: “What levels of foreknowledge and knowledge in the context of the development of emerging technologies—in relation to their features in Industry 4.0—should be taken into account during the analysis of uncertainties in the sense of foresight research based on different anticipated options?” In detail, the examination covered the relationship of classes of research foresight methods with regard to types of future, scopes of uncertainty, cycles of knowledge and original levels of foreknowledge in the field of the development of emerging technologies in Industry 4.0. Emerging technologies combined with the research on foreknowledge and uncertainties is an interesting research area with many theoretical and practical potential implications. The study uses the results of the analysis and criticism of the literature, mental experiments, and the intuitive method as the main research methods. This provides a basis for performing conceptual modeling.

Methodology of Implementing Virtual Reality in Education for Industry 4.0

This paper presents an entirely new approach to the use of virtual reality (VR) in the educational process for the needs of Industry 4.0. It is based on the proposed comprehensive methodology, including the design, creation, implementation and evaluation of individual courses implemented in a VR environment. An essential feature of the new methodology is its universality and comprehensiveness. Thanks to that, it can be applied in such areas as higher education, aviation, automotive, shipbuilding, energy and many others. The paper also identifies the significant advantages and disadvantages of VR-based education that may determine its use scope and profile. In addition, on the basis of the proposed methodology, a model of a training station using VR technology has been developed to enable the realization of training classes in the field of firefighting activities that should be undertaken during the hazard arising from the operation of a numerically controlled production machine. Results of the conducted training using this station were also presented. The study showed the potential of training based on a virtual environment to improve participants’ skills and knowledge. The development and implementation of adequate courses in the VR environment can reduce costs and increase the safety and efficiency of employees’ performed activities.

Sustainable Higher Education Reform Quality Assessment Using SWOT Analysis with Integration of AHP and Entropy Models: A Case Study of Morocco

Sustainable development goals (SDG) involve not only environmental issues but also economic, social, and cultural concerns. Higher education plays a key role in promoting sustainable development initiatives and in empowering people to change their thinking and to strive for a sustainable future. However, the main issue that needs to be presently resolved is how leaders, teachers, and students in higher education can achieve sustainable development in their system vision, mission and values, strategic plans, and organizational culture. Morocco is a country with a long history of higher education and has continuous reforms for sustainable development. In the process of responding to the wave of globalization, the Moroccan government has begun to formulate a higher education reform plan to maintain its competitiveness and achieve the SDG standards. Therefore, this study is focused on the quality of the higher education system through which the sustainability of higher education reform can be implemented. With this in mind, an organized approach that involved a questionnaire using the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) decision-making model with integration of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Entropy method was developed. The questionnaires were filled out by the experts, staff, and students of the higher education system (universities) to obtain the important key factors for the SWOT analysis. The AHP was used for the qualitative analysis of the weights of the SWOT factors, while the Entropy method was applied for the objective analysis of the number of different weight attributes. After integration of AHP with Entropy, the finalized variables were ranked; these results are more reliable and realistic to decision-makers. Finally, the SWOT matrix was established based on the questionnaire assessment and the AHP with Entropy weights to help implement the higher education reform policy and to monitor the quality of the current education system. The results also indicate that higher education reform must incorporate many changes, including effective budget planning, skilled experts, internationalization, improved and expanded infrastructure, reformed study curriculum, and latest training.

Review of the Construction Labour Demand and Shortages in the EU

This paper reviews the recent literature on skill and labour shortages in the labour market with special emphasis on the construction sector in the European Union Member States, foreseeing the Construction 4.0 era. The free movement of people is one of the rights of all citizens of the EU which also includes the free movement of workers. Labour shortages in the EU are expected to increase in the future due to a declining population and an ageing workforce. In order to recognize and forecast labour shortages, EU Member states use a variety of instruments but they do not answer as to whether it is possible to use migrant labour to appease those shortages. There are several systems used to classify labour shortages in the EU Member states. Most of the countries classify labour shortages in relation to different sectors or occupation groups as well as by skill levels, but in some Member States, classification is made according to the type of employment. Instruments used to measure labour shortages significantly differ from country to country. Several criteria are used for creating lists of shortage occupations and most of the criteria include demand side and supply side criteria. A majority of the Member States are facing labour and skill shortages in various sectors and the construction sector is not an exception. As total employment in the construction sector decreased, so did the share of employed migrants. Labour shortages in the construction sector can be eased by the availability of a labour supply willing to accept unqualified and low-paying jobs. The construction sector seeks low-, medium-, and high-skilled individuals and is most likely the sector where most of the incoming migrants will be working, which has an impact on the development and implementation dynamic of Construction 4.0.

Mathematics Applied to the Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: A Necessary Relationship of Dependence

Higher education must include training in sustainability to make all actors aware of the serious problems our planet is facing. Mathematics plays an important role in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and at the same time these allow working with real situations in the subject of mathematics, providing the student with active learning. Sustainability is used to make the student see the usefulness of mathematics while instilling values and attitudes towards it. A set of problems have been raised during the academic year that are solved with the developed mathematical techniques, and through a survey, the students’ perceptions about the usefulness of mathematics to reach the goals established in the SDG has been evaluated. The results show that, regardless of the student’s gender, the student’s assessment of the usefulness of this subject in solving real problems improved. It has been observed that this teaching methodology has helped to motivate students and even those who do not like this subject have improved their appreciation of it.

Teaching Digital Competence and Eco-Responsible Use of Technologies: Development and Validation of a Scale

The environmental impact produced by digital technologies is one of the fundamental contents to be developed by teachers of the 21st century. Different investigations raise the need to redesign education towards sustainable models and promote a critical look at digital technologies. The main objective of this manuscript is to design a valid, reliable and useful scale to measure self-perceived teacher digital competence regarding the eco-responsible use of technologies. The instrument has been designed based on a detailed analysis of the main frameworks for the development of digital competence in Europe: INTEF and DigCompEdu. A content validation process has been followed through the expert judgment method. Subsequently, its reliability and validity are estimated using structural equation modeling techniques. The results obtained guarantee the reliability and validity of the model. Therefore, the need to establish environmental teacher training plans and more awareness about the eco-responsible use of technologies is established.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a Basis for Innovation Skills for Engineers in the Industry 4.0 Context

Teaching methods for calculation and project development, focusing on theoretical principles and the reproduction of validated procedures, has been the traditional focus of engineering education. Innovation has been present in universities, mainly in the creation of processes and technologies for the development of products, services, or companies, based on entrepreneurship. Training in innovation has been limited to interested students, and not encouraged for all students, despite how relevant it is for current and future global development. According to the literature research and the opinion of the experts, this research identifies the characteristics of innovation that engineering students should acquire, in response to the challenges of engineering in the 21st century, considering as a basis the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in the context of the increasingly demanding requirements of industry 4.0. The identification of the relevant aspects in innovation were categorized according to the expertise and academic performance of the authors. In addition to this, the investigation of the representative elements of Industry 4.0, and the incorporation of Sustainable Development Goals, establish the basis of this study to guide the development of innovation skills in the process of engineering student education. Furthermore, in order to integrate innovation skills, elements of Industry 4.0 and aspects of Sustainable Development Goals, the concept of competence is introduced, with a conceptual structure that considers knowledge, attitude and performance context, thus this research provides a conceptual framework for those interested in constructing innovation skills in engineering, oriented towards the development of an innovation culture and mentality, as part of the expected professional performance.