Barriers To the Implementation of Industry 4.0 In SMES in The Czech Republic

Technological advances are unstoppable and are enabling new opportunities for manufacturing companies to digitally transform now. An umbrella term that captures the new technologies and many other elements is Industry 4.0. It should provide increased efficiency, reduced costs for the enterprise and a competitive advantage. However, there are several barriers in the way of enterprises’ digital transformation that either prevent or significantly limit the implementation of Industry 4.0. This paper presents the results of a research conducted in 2021. 102 enterprises in the food industry in the Czech Republic participated in the research. The results show, for example, that enterprises that identify bureaucracy and security threats as barriers to implementing Industry 4.0 do not plan to implement Industry 4.0 at all.