Critical Factors of Industry 4.0 Implementation in an Emerging Country: Empirical Study

The concept of Industry 4.0 is becoming more and more popular all over the world. The implementation of its assumptions in business practice changes the way companies operate. The enormous innovative potential of the Industry 4.0 concept and the intensive use of processes based on the implementation of advanced technologies in its assumptions have an impact on various industries in each country. The article attempts to analyze the critical factors for the implementation of Industry 4.0 in Kazakhstan. Primary and secondary data sources were used for this purpose. The majority of existing government initiatives and reports do not reflect the actual situation. Additionally, these materials do not always represent the experiences or positions of all the parties involved. Opinions of companies and organizations implementing Industry 4.0 solutions remain unexplored. The primary goal of the paper is to fill the cognitive gap by analyzing stakeholder responses and identifying the actual level of their awareness of the development of Industry 4.0. An additional intention of the authors was to empirically establish barriers that companies face while implementing the most desirable technologies, as well as to establish other critical factors, taking into account the specificity of the country under study. The results of the research can be used by policymakers, scientists and other stakeholders to develop forecasts and strategic plans, as well as to develop and conduct further research on the implementation processes of Industry 4.0 in Kazakhstan.