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Industry 4.0 has been identified as a key cornerstone to modernise economies where man and machines complement each other seamlessly to achieve synergies in decision-making and productivity for contributing to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. The integration of Industry 4.0 remains a challenge for the developing world, depending on their current status in the industrial revolution journey from its predecessors 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. This chapter reviews reported findings in literature to highlight how robotics and automated systems can pave the way to implementing and applying the principles of Industry 4.0 for developing countries like Mauritius, where data collection, processing and analysis for decision-making and prediction are key components to be integrated or designed into industrial processes centred heavily on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques. Robotics has not yet found its way into the various industrial sectors in Mauritius, although it has been an important driver for Industry 4.0 across the world. The inherent barriers and transformations needed as well as the potential application scenarios are discussed.

The fourth industrial revolution and digital transformation have caused paradigm changes in the procedures of goods production and services through disruptive technologies, and they have formed new methods for business models. Health and medicine fields have been under the effect of these technology advancements. The concept of smart hospital is formed according to these technological transformations. The aim of this research, other than explanation of smart hospital components, is to present a model for evaluating a hospital readiness for becoming a smart hospital.

This research is an applied one, and has been carried out in three phases and according to design science research. Based on the previous studies, in the first phase, the components and technologies effecting a smart hospital are recognized. In the second phase, the extracted components are prioritized using type-2 fuzzy analytic hierarchical process based on the opinion of experts; later, the readiness model is designed. In the third phase, the presented model would be tested in a hospital.

The research results showed that the technologies of internet of things, robotics, artificial intelligence, radio-frequency identification as well as augmented and virtual reality had the most prominence in a smart hospital.

The innovation and originality of the forthcoming research is to explain the concept of smart hospital, to rank its components and to provide a model for evaluating the readiness of smart hospital. Contribution of this research in terms of theory explains the concept of smart hospital and in terms of application presents a model for assessing the readiness of smart hospitals.

The study aims to draw lessons from other countries and propose a framework for developing smart libraries in transformation in South Africa. The framework will be useful to policymakers and scholars in library and information science.

This study used a qualitative approach based on a systematic literature review and the researchers’ experience concerning the transformation of smart libraries in South Africa. The researchers selected databases to access full-text, abstract or full-text linking facilities. The researchers generated the study’s literature review using keywords derived from themes. The keywords used include “smart libraries,” “functions of smart libraries” and “smart library infrastructure,” based on the objectives of the study.

The findings reveal that developing smart libraries in South Africa is feasible, but all stakeholders must cooperate and collaborate to create smart libraries. The findings of this study show that South Africa can draw lessons from other countries on the way forward in developing smart libraries. The results indicate that lack of funding, digital infrastructure and technical skills are among the factors inhibiting the development of smart libraries.

The issue of smart libraries has become a key on the agenda on a global scale, and South Africa is no exception to such developments. This study proposes a framework for developing smart libraries based on lessons learned within and outside South Africa.

Effective inventory management is crucial for SMEs due to limited resources and higher risks like cash flow, storage space, and stockouts. Hence, the aim is to explore how technology and know-how can be integrated with inventory practices and impact operational performance.

The basis of the analysis was collecting papers from a wide range of databases, which included Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. In the first phase of the process, a search string with as many as nine related keywords was used to obtain 175 papers. It further filtered them based on their titles and abstracts to retain 95 papers that were included for thorough analysis.

The study introduced innovative methods of measuring inventory practices by exploring the impact of know-how. It is the first of its kind to identify and demonstrate how technical, technological, and behavioral know-how can influence inventory management practices and ultimately impact the performance of emerging SMEs. This study stands out for its comprehensive approach, which covers traditional and modern inventory management technologies in a single study.

The study provides valuable insights into the interplay between technical, technological, and behavioral know-how in inventory management practices and their effects on the performance of emerging SMEs in Industry 5.0 in the light of RBV theory.

The RBV theory and the Industry 5.0 paradigm are used in this study to explore how developing SMEs' inventory management practices influence their performance. This study investigates the effects of traditional and modern inventory management systems on business performance. Incorporating RBV theory with the Industry 5.0 framework investigates firm-specific resources and technological advances in the current industrial revolution. This unique technique advances the literature on inventory management and has industry implications.

In the effort to procure solutions to emerging challenges faced in the construction industry, construction stakeholders implemented the use of several technologies in construction operations from the onset of project planning to completion. Cyber technology introduced into construction brought about the inclusion of wearable technology, mobile devices, apps, project management software, drones, 3D printers, robotics, etc. to enhance output as the industry tends towards that which is sustainable. This chapter identified benefits, barriers and other related cyber technology interactions within the scope of delivering projects that are of standard, budget and quality at the same time. The conclusion gave a summary of the whole chapter for further comprehension.

In recent times, the construction industry is being influenced by technological innovations when delivering a better, more effective and efficient desired project, cyber-physical systems (CPSs) offer a coupling of the physical and engineered systems by monitoring, coordinating, controlling and integrating their operations. This study aims to examine the level of awareness of professionals and usage of CPSs for construction projects in Nigerian construction industry.

The target population for this study was the professionals in the construction industry consisting Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Engineers and Builders. Data collection was through the use of a structured questionnaire administered to the target population. The data was analyzed by using statistical tools.

This study concluded that the construction professionals in the Nigerian construction industry are mostly aware about the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, global positioning system, microphone, speakers and camera as the most widely used CPSs in construction industry. HVAC systems was also found to be the mostly adopted technologies in the construction industry.

This study recommended that platforms that increase the awareness and encourage the usage of CPSs in construction industry should be encouraged by stakeholders concerned with management of construction projects. Such include electronic construction and adoption of blockchain technology.

The purpose of this study is to numerically investigate the geometric influence of different corrugation profiles (rectangular, trapezoidal and triangular) of varying heights on the flow and the natural convection heat transfer process over isothermal plates.

This work is an extension and finalization of previous studies of the leading author. The numerical methodology was proposed and experimentally validated in previous studies. Using OpenFOAM® and other free and open-source numerical-computational tools, three-dimensional numerical models were built to simulate the flow and the natural convection heat transfer process over isothermal corrugation plates with variable and constant heights.

The influence of different geometric arrangements of corrugated plates on the flow and natural convection heat transfer over isothermal plates is investigated. The influence of the height ratio parameter, as well as the resulting concave and convex profiles, on the parameters average Nusselt number, corrected average Nusselt number and convective thermal efficiency gain, is analyzed. It is shown that the total convective heat transfer and the convective thermal efficiency gain increase with the increase of the height ratio. The numerical results confirm previous findings about the predominant effects on the predominant impact of increasing the heat transfer area on the thermal efficiency gain in corrugated surfaces, in contrast to the adverse effects caused on the flow. In corrugations with heights resulting in concave profiles, the geometry with triangular corrugations presented the highest total convection heat transfer, followed by trapezoidal and rectangular. For arrangements with the same area, it was demonstrated that corrugations of constant and variable height are approximately equivalent in terms of natural convection heat transfer.

The results allowed a better understanding of the flow characteristics and the natural convection heat transfer process over isothermal plates with corrugations of variable height. The advantages of the surfaces studied in terms of increasing convective thermal efficiency were demonstrated, with the potential to be used in cooling systems exclusively by natural convection (or with reduced dependence on forced convection cooling systems), including in technological applications of microelectronics, robotics, internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence, information technology, industry 4.0, etc.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the results presented are new in the scientific literature. Unlike previous studies conducted by the leading author, this analysis specifically analyzed the natural convection phenomenon over plates with variable-height corrugations. The obtained results will contribute to projects to improve and optimize natural convection cooling systems.

This study explores the impact of Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) on learning factory implementation in Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP). A learning factory is an action-oriented approach to teaching with participants acquiring competencies through structured self-learning processes in a production–technological learning environment. It integrates different teaching methods with the main objective of moving traditional teaching methods to become closer to real industrial problems. However, there is still limited information that can be used to evaluate the impact of IR4.0 on its implementation in UMP. Therefore, this study focuses on exploring the challenges faced by UMP in developing their learning factory and examines the effectiveness of UMP Learning Factory as a new teaching and learning process to support Industry 4.0.

First of all, identifying a problem was done, and information regarding the topic was obtained via research from various sources. Example of sources is online journals, books, the Internet and others. It is essential to understand the rationale behind why the research should be carried out as well as the objectives of the study in relation to the topic of interest. After that, a survey of the relevant literature was carried out to compile more pertinent material and run it through the lens of the selected subject. It makes the process of establishing a theoretical framework easier, and it also improves one's knowledge of the research being done. The next step in the process involves selecting responders based on the research. In order to calculate the appropriate sample size for this study, we must identify the entire population so that we can ensure that the findings we obtain are reliable. The entire population are first filtered based on the purpose of the research, and only then is it possible to establish the size of the needed sample of respondents. This research study's data gathering techniques consisted of five steps; however, in this particular study, the researcher only employed two approaches, which focused on individual interviews and semi-structured interviews, respectively. In order to address both the study purpose and the research questions, the interview questions that were developed were meant to relate to one another. During this interview procedure, the interviewees will have the option to elaborate or supply an increasing amount of pertinent data and information. Participants in the interview who have accumulated a significant amount of experience in the relevant sector are better positioned to provide both their personal and professional perspectives. The researcher will utilize audio to gather the script from the responder so that they may collect the data for analysis. The researcher is able to find the precise data analysis from the responses with the assistance of this programme. As a result, the researcher's question to the responders can be considered credible and genuine. Each respondent may read a particular question in the questionnaire in the same manner. As a result, although the question may be trusted, this fact is mostly irrelevant given that it lacks internal validity and hence does not make it possible to answer the research topic. In conclusion, the findings of this study are analysed, and conclusions are drawn from them.

In order to explore and answer research questions that are tailored to research objectives, the purpose of this study is to investigate such questions. The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence that Industry 4.0 will have on the instructional methodology that will be utilized at UMP. Regarding the second aim, the purpose is to investigate the difficulties that the Universiti Malaysia Pahang encounters in the process of creating the Learning Factory. The final goal is to investigate how well UMP Learning Factory performs as a novel approach to education and training that is intended to assist Industry 4.0. The University of Malaya in Penang (UMP), which is widely regarded as one of the premier educational institutions of its kind in Malaysia, has recently implemented a learning factory as one of its pedagogical approaches. The university's deployment of the learning factory is very recent, and as such, there is room for improvement to make the most of the potential offered by this instructional approach. However, the findings of this research indicate that there is a favourable influence on both learning and teaching. The influence of the implementation of Learning Factory, which is becoming one technique of educational reform, is one of the most important factors to consider. According to the study's findings, UMP has successfully developed a learning factory that has a major influence on the learning process and is extremely good at what it does. The student benefits from an enhanced teaching and learning experience as a direct result of the contribution made by the learning factory. When it comes to generating a learning component based on the result, several obstacles have been identified. If UMP or other institutions intend to create a new learning factory, the problems might be considered factors to consider. In the teaching and learning process context, it has been demonstrated that a learning factory is particularly successful. The learning factory approach is one of the teaching techniques that makes the students understand better and have the experience of handling and controlling the equipment. Because this method introduces the hands-on approach, it is one of the teaching methods. The learning factory method is one that, in its most fundamental form, may be particularly beneficial for students to prepare themselves for the arduous process of joining the workforce. The classroom setting will be quite similar to that of a factory, and the student will improve their general collaboration. In addition to this, they will be able to operate machines and have knowledge regarding the machines that are found in the learning factory. The learning factory makes a significant contribution to the knowledge transfer process in UMP by facilitating the development of a deeper comprehension of certain bodies of information. When compared to more traditional methods of transferring information, the student will have a much easier time comprehending the material that is taught to them through the use of the hands-on learning technique.

This study gained some information about the impact of IR4.0 towards educational transformation, which is expected to give positive results. Basically, this research will provide further explanation about IR4.0 and educational transformation in UMP focus on learning factory. Generally, the implementation of IR4.0 in education will produce a positive result and help the students in the future. The result from this case study will hopefully be beneficial to society. The finding from this research will be used as references to all, especially top management and technical staff of UMP, for further understanding of the impact of the implementation of the learning factory. While conducting this research, seven respondents were selected from the two faculty with their own learning factories, Faculty of Industrial Management (FIM) and Faculty of Technology (FTEK). The researcher targeted lecturers and technical staff as their respondents. The overall result from the interview session was analysed. All the result is based on the interview answer to the researcher's question

Studies showed that digital technology applications in the construction industry are low, especially in many developing nations. Construction incentivisation (CI) is one of the long-standing principles adopted to enhance project performance. There is a paucity of studies concerning CI to improve digital technology applications. Thus, this research investigated the relevance and perceived hindrances that may hinder the implementation of CI from promoting digital technologies and proffer ways to improve digital technology applications in the construction sector.

In Nigeria’s context, this research is exploratory. Twenty-four semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria, with knowledgeable participants that indicated interest and were interviewed. The engaged interviewees were drawn from government agencies, academicians in construction consultancy, Internet and communication technology experts, construction contracting firms and construction consulting firms. The collected data were coded and analysed through a thematic method.

Digitalisation of the industry via CI may face some hindrances. The perceived issues that may hinder CI implementation were classified into most severe, severe and fairly severe in Nigeria’s construction industry context. Findings proffer feasible policy solutions that can mitigate these issues and improve digital technology applications in the industry via the CI.

This study covered the relevance and perceived issues that may hinder the implementation of the CI to improve digital technology applications in the industry. Also, the study proffers policy solutions to enhance digital technology applications in the industry via the CI concept.

Findings from this research will support and offer a valuable understanding of the relevance of the “incentivisation concept” to improve digital technology applications in the Nigerian-built environment. Other developing countries with low applications of digital technology in construction may consider the suggested policy solutions from this research. Also, this study will stir policymakers and construction practitioners to support policies tailored towards improving digital technology applications in construction.

This research contributes by exploring the effectiveness of the CI concept and informing construction practitioners and policymakers on how to improve digital technology applications in the Nigerian construction industry.

Amidst ongoing digital transformation, the current paper provides a 360-degree overview of technology-adoption in Tourism and Hospitality. By combining and consolidating a wide range of sources, mainly in the tourism literature, the analysis depicts how the complex technological ecosystem often enhances or hinders the successful adoption, integration and interoperability of different technologies.

The critical review method was used to assess, analyse and synthesise existing literature in the area of digitisation in tourism and hospitality. The critical review process included a thematic analysis of the literature, where recurring themes, patterns and trends were identified towards addressing the study’s research questions.

The analysis identifies current trends, opportunities, challenges and strategies for technology adoption in tourism and hospitality, the implications for theory, practicable executive directions and avenues for further research.

The paper’s main contribution lies in its comprehensive identification, consideration and incorporation of all primary contemporary technological elements, and the ensuing development of a corresponding conceptual charting framework, which illustrates a multifaceted process with practical implications for various stakeholders, including businesses, authorities, consumers and employees.