Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-4ws75 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-10T06:23:41.587Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A systematic literature review on emerging technology risks in Industry 4.0/5.0: identification, clustering and developing mitigation strategies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2025

Dominik Fuchs*
Affiliation:
Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Blair Kuys
Affiliation:
Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Boris Eisenbart
Affiliation:
Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Kilian Gericke
Affiliation:
University of Rostock, Germany

Abstract:

This systematic literature review comprehensively assesses the risks associated with implementing Industry 4.0/5.0 technologies. It clusters these risks into six groups (strategic, financial, operational, technological, environmental, and sociocultural). Using a PRISMA-guided approach, the analysis of 83 peer-reviewed papers identified 36 unique risks out of a total of 811. The findings reveal critical challenges, including in cybersecurity threats, financial burdens, technological obsolescence, and workforce adaptation. These results provide a structured risk categorization that can assist enterprises, in effectively mitigating risks and aligning their strategies with Industry 4.0/5.0 transitions. This framework closes knowledge gaps and offers actionable insights for a robust and sustainable implementation.

Information

Type
Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2025
Figure 0

Figure 1. Identified risk distribution (l: absolute total; r: adjusted/unique total)

Figure 1

Figure 2. Implementation risks of Industry 4.0/5.0 technologies

Figure 2

Table 1. Description of implementation risks for Industry 4.0/5.0 technologies