Navigating Industry 4.0: Leveraging additive technologies for competitive advantage in Colombian aerospace and manufacturing industries.

Industry 4.0 initiatives aim to improve competitive advantage. Additive technologies are a technological innovation and have great potential in a developing country like Colombia, The study analyzes how additive technologies, strategies, and process innovation interact to generate positive results,...

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Main Authors: Thomas Tegethoff, Ricardo Santa, Juan Manuel Bucheli, Benjamin Cabrera, Annibal Scavarda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318339
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author Thomas Tegethoff
Ricardo Santa
Juan Manuel Bucheli
Benjamin Cabrera
Annibal Scavarda
author_facet Thomas Tegethoff
Ricardo Santa
Juan Manuel Bucheli
Benjamin Cabrera
Annibal Scavarda
author_sort Thomas Tegethoff
collection DOAJ
description Industry 4.0 initiatives aim to improve competitive advantage. Additive technologies are a technological innovation and have great potential in a developing country like Colombia, The study analyzes how additive technologies, strategies, and process innovation interact to generate positive results, measured by the achievement of operational effectiveness in the aerospace sector and the manufacturing industry in general. Furthermore, the study explores the integration of additive technologies within the framework of Industry 4.0, focusing on the Colombian aerospace and manufacturing sectors. It investigates how these technologies, strategies, and process innovation contribute to operational effectiveness. Data were collected using a Likert-style questionnaire, developed based on established models of innovation framework and operational effectiveness model994 responses were obtained, of which 945 were deemed usable (423 from manufacturing and 522 from aerospace sectors). The analysis involved confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) using SPSS and AMOS software, ensuring robustness through indicators like Cronbach's Alpha and fit indices. The study compared findings across the two sectors to highlight differences in how additive technologies influence organizational outcomes. Initial results reveal that while additive technologies significantly enhance process innovation across sectors, their direct impact on operational effectiveness is evident only in the aerospace industry. The findings underscore that the aerospace sector benefits from additive technologies due to their need for complex, high-quality, and small-batch production, emphasizing their role in fostering precision and customization. However, the lack of impact in the manufacturing context is attributed to limited strategic alignment and inadequate implementation practices. Moreover, the results indicate that process innovation is a critical mediator, facilitating the translation of technological advancements into improved operational outcomes. Despite moderate correlations between strategies and operational effectiveness in manufacturing, aerospace organizations exhibit more substantial strategic alignment due to stringent performance demands. These findings highlight the importance of fostering a culture of innovation, adapting organizational strategies, and addressing structural challenges to maximize the benefits of additive technologies. The study contributes to understanding the differential adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in developing economies, with implications for enhancing competitiveness and sustainability in global markets.
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spelling doaj-art-679a3f95d4bf4f6f8270976555d82c852025-08-20T02:56:06ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01202e031833910.1371/journal.pone.0318339Navigating Industry 4.0: Leveraging additive technologies for competitive advantage in Colombian aerospace and manufacturing industries.Thomas TegethoffRicardo SantaJuan Manuel BucheliBenjamin CabreraAnnibal ScavardaIndustry 4.0 initiatives aim to improve competitive advantage. Additive technologies are a technological innovation and have great potential in a developing country like Colombia, The study analyzes how additive technologies, strategies, and process innovation interact to generate positive results, measured by the achievement of operational effectiveness in the aerospace sector and the manufacturing industry in general. Furthermore, the study explores the integration of additive technologies within the framework of Industry 4.0, focusing on the Colombian aerospace and manufacturing sectors. It investigates how these technologies, strategies, and process innovation contribute to operational effectiveness. Data were collected using a Likert-style questionnaire, developed based on established models of innovation framework and operational effectiveness model994 responses were obtained, of which 945 were deemed usable (423 from manufacturing and 522 from aerospace sectors). The analysis involved confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) using SPSS and AMOS software, ensuring robustness through indicators like Cronbach's Alpha and fit indices. The study compared findings across the two sectors to highlight differences in how additive technologies influence organizational outcomes. Initial results reveal that while additive technologies significantly enhance process innovation across sectors, their direct impact on operational effectiveness is evident only in the aerospace industry. The findings underscore that the aerospace sector benefits from additive technologies due to their need for complex, high-quality, and small-batch production, emphasizing their role in fostering precision and customization. However, the lack of impact in the manufacturing context is attributed to limited strategic alignment and inadequate implementation practices. Moreover, the results indicate that process innovation is a critical mediator, facilitating the translation of technological advancements into improved operational outcomes. Despite moderate correlations between strategies and operational effectiveness in manufacturing, aerospace organizations exhibit more substantial strategic alignment due to stringent performance demands. These findings highlight the importance of fostering a culture of innovation, adapting organizational strategies, and addressing structural challenges to maximize the benefits of additive technologies. The study contributes to understanding the differential adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in developing economies, with implications for enhancing competitiveness and sustainability in global markets.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318339
spellingShingle Thomas Tegethoff
Ricardo Santa
Juan Manuel Bucheli
Benjamin Cabrera
Annibal Scavarda
Navigating Industry 4.0: Leveraging additive technologies for competitive advantage in Colombian aerospace and manufacturing industries.
PLoS ONE
title Navigating Industry 4.0: Leveraging additive technologies for competitive advantage in Colombian aerospace and manufacturing industries.
title_full Navigating Industry 4.0: Leveraging additive technologies for competitive advantage in Colombian aerospace and manufacturing industries.
title_fullStr Navigating Industry 4.0: Leveraging additive technologies for competitive advantage in Colombian aerospace and manufacturing industries.
title_full_unstemmed Navigating Industry 4.0: Leveraging additive technologies for competitive advantage in Colombian aerospace and manufacturing industries.
title_short Navigating Industry 4.0: Leveraging additive technologies for competitive advantage in Colombian aerospace and manufacturing industries.
title_sort navigating industry 4 0 leveraging additive technologies for competitive advantage in colombian aerospace and manufacturing industries
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318339
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