'Industry 4.0' Readiness in UK Manufacturing with particular emphasis on Auto: Opportunities, Challenges and Implication

该研究是在当前制造业转型为“智能制造”部门（通常被称为“工业4.0”）的框架内进行的。技术变革浪潮将对工厂内部和企业之间的供应链的生产组织产生根本性影响。这些领域包括互联网、3D打印、纳米技术、生物科学、电子、光子学、先进材料和空间技术。其中一些新技术已经开始应用于汽车行业，给生产和消费带来了颠覆性的变化。工业4.0也被称为“生产革命”（OECD, http://www.oecd.org/sti/ind/next-production-revolution.htm），因为它将包含预期的颠覆性变化。这项研究将在理解和政策制定方面有两个关键方面：一是研究英国制造业向工业4.0过渡的准备情况，特别是汽车行业；二是理清一些关键问题，围绕哪些目标、行动和倡议需要作为修订后的产业战略的一部分加以考虑，以支持英国新的智能、先进和有竞争力的汽车行业，从而确保英国脱欧后的就业和繁荣。工业4.0趋势对英国汽车业的主要影响是什么？工业4.0给英国汽车业带来了哪些机遇和挑战？（例如，需要开发和采用新技术、技能、缩短价值链的可能性等）；英国汽车业为工业4.0做好了多少准备？行业在发展能力、技术、技能和理解工业4.0方面存在哪些关键差距？汽车业的产业政策本质有什么影响？（例如汽车理事会的作用和重点，最近更新的技术路线图的相关性，先进推进中心的地位和作用等）为了为工业4.0做好准备并利用其带来的机会，可能需要采取哪些关键政策行动？本研究将采用混合方法的研究设计，利用第一手和第二手来源的定性和定量数据。主要数据将通过企业调查收集，以确定企业采用工业4.0的准备程度：调查问卷将试图了解企业是否意识到工业4.0，以及采用新技术过渡到工业4.0可能面临的挑战和障碍。将考虑西米德兰兹郡汽车行业的情况。研究结果将为政策设计提供有力证据。与此同时，对机构利益攸关方的访谈将揭示行业协会、工会和政策制定者对支持企业和地区实现转型的认识和承诺，并特别注重技能和培训；基础设施和供应链管理。混合方法研究将使研究人员能够更好地回答研究问题，并增加研究结果的可信度，因为“方法效应”将受到限制（Saunders et al, 2009）。混合方法研究方法将有助于解释定性和定量数据之间的关系，并允许研究人员探索现象的不同方面（同上）。

The Research is framed within the current transition in manufacturing to become a 'smart manufacturing' sector - often referred to as 'Industry 4.0'. There is a wave of technological changes that will have a fundamental impact on the organisation of production inside factories and along the supply chain - between firms. These include the internet, 3D printing, nanotechnology, bioscience, electronics, photonics, advanced materials and space technology. Some of these new technologies are already starting to be applied in the auto sector with disruptive changes to production and consumption. Industry 4.0 is also referred to as a 'production revolution' (OECD, http://www.oecd.org/sti/ind/next-production-revolution.htm) given the expected disruptive nature of the changes it will enfold.This research will have two key dimensions in moving on understanding and policy development: one is to study the readiness of the UK manufacturing sector to transit to Industry 4.0 with a particular reference to the auto sector; and two is to disentangle a number of key issues around what objectives, actions, initiatives need to be considered as part of a revised industrial strategy that is supportive of a new smart, advanced and competitive automotive sector in the UK so as to secure jobs and prosperity post Brexit.What are the main implications of Industry 4.0 trends for UK auto?What Opportunities and Challenges does Industry 4.0 pose for UK auto? (e.g. the need to develop and embrace new technologies, skills, possibilities for shortening value chains etc.);How ready is UK auto for Industry 4.0? What key gaps are there in developing competencies, technologies, skills and understanding of Industry 4.0 in the sector?What are the implications for nature of industrial policy for the auto industry? (such as the role and focus of the Automotive Council, the relevance of the recent refreshed technology road maps, the position and role of the Advanced Propulsion Centre etc.)What key policy action may be needed to build readiness for Industry 4.0 and exploit the opportunities it presents?The research will adopt a mixed methods research design utilising both qualitative and quantitative data of primary and secondary origin. Primary data will be collected via a firms' survey that will ascertain the level of firms' readiness to adopt Industry 4.0: the questionnaire will seek to understand if firms are aware of Industry 4.0 and what might be the challenges and barriers to adopt the new technologies to transit onto Industry 4.0. The case of the auto sector in the West Midlands will be considered. Findings will provide robust evidence to inform policy design. In parallel, interviews to institutional stakeholders will shed light on the awareness and the commitment of trade associations, unions and policy makers to support firms and regions to make the transition with a special focus on skills and training; infrastructure and supply chain management. A mixed methods research will enable the researcher to better answer the research questions as well increasing the creditability of the research findings as the 'method effect' would be limited (Saunders et al, 2009). A mixed methods research approach would act as an aid to explaining relationships between both qualitative and quantitative data and allow the researcher to explore different aspects of phenomena (ibid).