Adoption of digital technologies of smart manufacturing in SMEs

The Fourth Industrial Revolution-commonly referred to as Industry 4.0-with smart manufacturing currently on its forefront-has arrived. The manufacturing industry is evolving and manufacturers of all sizes, worldwide, need to evolve too. In order not to be left behind from early adopters, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) integrate modern Smart Manufacturing-related Information and Digital Technologies (SMIDT) such as artificial intelligence with their business operations to enable smart manufacturing. The present study is concerned with identifying the determinants of SMIDT adoption within manufacturing SMEs. The study benefits from a cross-sectional survey to capture the opinions of Malaysian and Iranian participating SMEs. Results indicate that a collection of technological, organizational, and environmental factors determine SMEs decision for SMIDT adoption. The study further explores how various combinations of identified determinants have influenced the implementation of 13 individual SMIDT among SMEs. Theoretical contribution and managerial implications of this research are discussed which are believed to offer valuable insights to academicians, executives, and policymakers.