Between resource configurations and strategic choices: a multifaceted perspective on Industry 4.0 implementation in SMEs

Many industrial SMEs struggle to strategically leverage Industry 4.0 technologies due to limitations in time, budget, or skills. While prior research suggests pathways to overcome such challenges, little empirical evidence exists on how managers mobilise internal resources in real-world decision-making. Our study addresses this gap by investigating the interplay between SMEs’ resource configurations and the strategic decisions managers make in the context of Industry 4.0. Based on survey data from Belgian industrial SMEs, the study identifies four strategic scenarios and examines their variation in strategic breadth and commitment. Combining resource-based view and dynamic capabilities perspectives, it shows how managerial seizing mobilises heterogeneous resources and constraints to shape distinct Industry 4.0 strategic responses.