Industrial Enterprises in Cameroon are preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4ir) – What are the Requirements, Opportunities, and Challenges?

Disruptive technologies are revolutionizing end-to-end steps in production in most sectors across the economy. The fourth Industrial Revolution (4ir), such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, will revolutionize traditional value creation models. This paper investigates the nature and impact of 4IR technologies on Cameroon’s manufacturing sector, using survey data from 100 manufacturing companies and business entities. As shown in Figure 2, most respondents (28%) feel that Industry 4.0 will substantially impact their manufacturing and production systems. Twenty-one percent of manufacturers think that the fourth industrial revolution will have an overall impact on their business, while 16% believe that IT systems and networks are the only areas that will benefit from Industry 4.0. Regarding plans, only 10 percent of respondents say they plan to adopt Industry 4.0 in the next twelve months, while 4% say it would take 13 to 24 months to establish the necessary infrastructure. However, 10% of respondents had no plans to apply Industry 4.0, while the rest (34%) wanted to digitalize their enterprises in the next 3-5 years. The findings from this study show that companies that adopt 4IR technologies are agile, competitive, and more productive. Companies in Cameroon’s industrial sector should invest in 4IR technologies, train their employees, and incorporate 4IR technologies into their manufacturing practices.