Transition to Industry 4.0 in the Visegrád Countries

The brief provides an analysis on the progress made by the Visegrád Four countries in their transition to Industry 4.0, a concept encompassing new digital technologies like automation and robotisation, 3D printing, machine learning or artificial intelligence. As their share of manufacturing to GDP has been historically high, the economies and the workforce of these four countries are likely to be impacted by the technological disruption expected to take place in the coming decades. The automotive industry, one of the trademarks of the Visegrád economy, is the most advanced in the transition, having started to replace some of the more predictable manual and routine labour tasks with industrial robots. Other dimensions of the Industry 4.0 are less advanced and need particular attention. Most domestic firms lag behind in the integration of new technologies and do not have a clear vision in terms of their digital transformation. The level of advanced digital skills among the workforce is also rather low and the prevalence of digital public services remains limited. Also in the light of the economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, various policies can support the digital transition, including by investing in cross-cutting technologies, facilitating access to risk financing to innovative firms and promoting entrepreneurship.