Industry 4.0 and education: evolving content and learning experiences

The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) with industrial advancements, known as Industry 4.0, is set to revolutionize production processes, making them more efficient, green, and flexible. On the other hand, as academic institutions face a big challenge in finding ways to improve the learning experience and academic performance of future students, the technological innovations of Industry 4.0 can help in meeting this challenge. This research paper investigates the impact of Industry 4.0 on universities and their courses, analysing the skills and competencies needed to manage its systems. Technologies such as autonomous robots, simulation, the Industrial Internet of Things, additive manufacturing, augmented reality, Big Data and analytics are all considered essential components of Industry 4.0. Academic institutions may need to consider how these technologies can be applied in the educational field to improve learning experiences and academic performance of current and future students while providing students with up-to-date knowledge on this continuous transformation. This paper presents an analysis of scientific literature to map the state of the art on this topic and highlight challenges and opportunities for academic institutions to evolve content and experience in the context of Industry 4.0.