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This paper aims to present a systematic review of the development process of Industry 4.0 in the textile and apparel sector, as well as to show some concepts, examples found in the literature on the application of the principles and technologies involved like the internet of things (IoT), cloud computing, Big Data, autonomous robots, three-dimensional (3D) printing, augmented reality, virtual prototyping, horizontal and vertical system integration and cybersecurity.

The methodology adopted in this study was a systematic literature review aided by the use of SciMAT, a scientific mapping software. Documents were collected from the Web of Science and Scopus database from 2011 to 2020 using the words “Textile” and “Industry 4.0” that result in 865 documents and 115 were analyzed.

The literature review showed that the textile industry in the international context is at an incipient stage of the implementation of Industry 4.0. The main aspects of Industry 4.0 that were identified in the textile industry initially focus on the implementation of technologies aimed at computerization and automation of processes, whose main focuses are increasing productivity and reducing costs. Projects for the implementation of augmented reality and 3D printing and simulation technologies in the textile industry, clothing and apparel area are still embryonic, normally implemented through tools and software oriented toward the creation and development of new models of processes, products and commerce.

The search in the databases was carried out on October 17, 2020. Therefore, for future study, other combinations of search terms and time update are suggested, in addition to including more databases besides Scopus and Web of Science.

This literature review served as the basis for the development of a questionnaire that was applied to 72 people in an industry in the clothing sector, located in the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil.

The benefits of industry 4.0 are perceived in people with its implementation, such as a reduction in energy consumption of around 15%, an increase of up to 25% in work efficiency, in addition to more assertive decision-making, improvement of processes and balance between life and work.

Machine learning, artificial intelligence, smart fabrics, IoT, supply chain management, environmental protection, Big Data, autonomation and cyber physics were the strongest terms found, consolidating as a prominent field for current and future studies. From emerging and/or still unexplored areas of Industry 4.0 in the textile sector, there is real-time communication, computer applications, carbon, fibers, health care and sustainable development. Some strategic actions that are taking place in some countries are summarized and in Brazil the adoption rate is 29% for this sector, revealing itself as a needy area and suitable for the development of studies that address the subject.

The purpose of this paper is to present a diagnostic instrument of the maturity of Industry 4.0 technologies adapted to the textile and clothing sector and constructed based on the technological references that support this industrial evolution process.

The proposed methodology began with the systematic literature review using the SciMAT software and then a questionnaire was developed with 49 questions divided into 5 categories – demography, technologies, strategy, digital skills and benefits of the deployment.

The application in 19 different sectors and 72 people in a textile industry showed this sector is still traditional. The diagnosis results pointed that the level of implementation of Industry 4.0 is considered the first level, later advancing in this order to levels of connectivity, visibility, predictability and adaptability of the processes.

Only in one company was applied the developed instrument, in this case study, a factory that makes children's and adult clothing items located in Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Through the use of this assessment instrument, it is possible to perform an internal benchmarking at the company detecting the strong and weak points, as well as involve a multidisciplinary collaborator team.

The comparisons and improvements may be carried out per dimension or sector, which motivates the constant application and assessment of improvements. The instrument to diagnose the maturity of Industry 4.0 technologies in the textile and clothing sector is considered an effective tool for application in a single company or to have its use expanded in a new piece of research to the entire industrial textile segment.

The developed diagnostic tool may be used for both the internal assessment of the company and its placement relative to its competitors, involving several companies from the same sector. It is possible to know about what level of Industry 4.0 maturity the company is and after benchmarking by others and improve.