Mapping Industry 4.0 awareness and training priorities in logistics and transport

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Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The rapid digitalization of logistics and transport sectors under the Industry 4.0 paradigm has reshaped operational models, workforce requirements, and managerial decision-making. Understanding how professionals perceive these technological changes and what competencies they prioritize is vital for effective adaptation. This study aims to assess the level of Industry 4.0 awareness and identify key training needs among logistics and transport professionals. A quantitative survey was conducted in Vilnius, Lithuania, in January 2025 with 172 respondents from logistics (56%) and transport (44%) sectors. The survey covered four thematic areas: demographic profile, perception of Industry 4.0 components, perceived benefits and barriers, and training priorities. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results show that 58.2% of respondents view Industry 4.0 as an integrated ecosystem of technologies, with software (13.9%) and Internet technologies (11.1%) most often cited as individual elements. Key training priorities include cybersecurity (80%), augmented/virtual reality (75%), and 3D printing (72.1%). High maintenance costs (26.4%) and implementation complexity (16.7%) were identified as the main obstacles to adoption. The findings show that although professionals recognize the transformative potential of Industry 4.0, significant skill and resource gaps persist. Closer collaboration between academia, policymakers, and industry is needed to address these gaps and prepare the workforce for a human-centered transition toward Industry 5.0.

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    • Figure 1. Areas covered by Industry 4.0
    • Figure 2. The need for Industry 4.0 teaching topics
    • Figure 3. Perceived disadvantages of Industry 4.0
    • Figure 4. Reasons for the need for Industry 4.0
    • Figure 5. Awareness of specific Industry 4.0 technologies
    • Table 1. Composition of Industry 4.0
    • Table 2. The need for Industry 4.0 topics to be taught in higher education
    • Table 3. Benefits of Industry 4.0
    • Table 4. Disadvantages of Industry 4.0
    • Table 5. Importance of Industry 4.0
    • Table 6. Awareness of Industry 4.0
    • Conceptualization
      Margarita Išoraitė, Aldona Jarašūnienė, Agnė Šimelytė
    • Formal Analysis
      Margarita Išoraitė, Aldona Jarašūnienė, Marius Gelžinis, Agnė Šimelytė
    • Investigation
      Margarita Išoraitė, Aldona Jarašūnienė
    • Methodology
      Margarita Išoraitė, Aldona Jarašūnienė, Marius Gelžinis
    • Project administration
      Margarita Išoraitė
    • Resources
      Margarita Išoraitė, Agnė Šimelytė
    • Supervision
      Margarita Išoraitė
    • Validation
      Margarita Išoraitė, Marius Gelžinis
    • Visualization
      Margarita Išoraitė, Aldona Jarašūnienė
    • Writing – original draft
      Margarita Išoraitė, Aldona Jarašūnienė
    • Data curation
      Marius Gelžinis, Agnė Šimelytė
    • Funding acquisition
      Marius Gelžinis, Agnė Šimelytė
    • Writing – review & editing
      Marius Gelžinis, Agnė Šimelytė
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