Title: Technology diffusion of Industry 4.0: an agent-based approach

Authors: Martin Prause; Christina Günther

Addresses: WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, Burgplatz 2, 56179 Vallendar, Germany ' WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, Burgplatz 2, 56179 Vallendar, Germany

Abstract: Governmental interventions, such as public policies and programs, play a vital role in innovation diffusion, particularly if the application area is heterogeneous, like the German federal high-tech approach of Industry 4.0. Interventions can thus inhibit market failure and negative externalities or disseminate the technology and promote positive externalities. To analyse the impact of governmental intervention, considering the particularities of the Industry 4.0 approach, an agent-based model (ABM) is proposed, particularly to test the sensitivity of Industry 4.0 innovation diffusion speed and degree due to interventions such as promotion, educational support, technology networks (hubs), technology standardisation, and financial aid among manufacturing small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in Germany. This paper describes a conceptual model structured along the overview, design concept, and details framework. Grounding and calibration of input parameters and agent behaviour are based on firm characteristics and adoption determinants (technology-organisation-environment model) from survey data and Industry 4.0 case studies.

Keywords: ABM; agent-based model; Industry 4.0; innovation diffusion; SME; small and medium size enterprise; technology adoption.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCEE.2019.097793

International Journal of Computational Economics and Econometrics, 2019 Vol.9 No.1/2, pp.29 - 48

Received: 14 Nov 2016
Accepted: 12 Jun 2017
Published online: 11 Feb 2019 *

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