Industry 4.0: transition paths and innovation strategies in auto parts companies in Brazil

The integration of technologies, associated with innovation strategies, can favor the competitiveness in small and medium-sized companies. Although for these companies the obstacles are bigger, making the transition to Industry 4.0 slower when compared to large enterprises, facilitators such as lean manufacturing and the adoption of innovative strategies can accelerate access to the transition. The objective of this paper was to identify and analyze how the impediments, gains and facilitators for the transition to Industry 4.0 influence the innovation strategies of small and medium-sized companies in the automotive segment in Brazil. The methods used were the survey research applied to 51 managers of the industrial area of companies in the automotive segment and the single case study in a medium-sized auto parts company located in Greater Sao Paulo. The main results pointed out that innovative strategies can foster the creation of new businesses, as well as indicate means and possible ways to facilitate the access of companies in the automotive segment to the transition to Industry 4.0.