The Model of Diffusion of Knowledge on Industry 4.0 in Marshallian Clusters

Industry 4.0 is perceived as the innovative approach to manufacturing management, thanks to which enterprises gain efficiency and improve competitiveness. The research on Industry 4.0 carried and published refer to the scope of solutions recognized as Industry 4.0 and the level of recognition and implementation of solutions within Industry 4.0. The conclusion from the latter is that enterprises, though striving for innovation and improvement, have no knowledge on solutions available. Hence, the research goal of the paper was to identify the level of knowledge on Industry 4.0 among enterprises and analyze the mechanism of knowledge diffusion. The subjects of research were enterprises in Marshallian clusters, as they are linked, which may contribute to knowledge diffusion and Industry 4.0 solutions dissemination. Research methodology implemented included three stages, namely knowledge level recognition, Industry 4.0 knowledge diffusion model development, and validation of the model with case-based simulation. The conclusions, based on simulation results, refer to mechanism and the most important parameters of knowledge on Industry 4.0 diffusion.