Industry 4.0
Vol. 11 (2026), Issue 2, pg(s) 79-82

BUSINESS & “INDUSTRY 4.0”

Innovations in industrial enterprises: the role of AI, IOT, and automation in enhancing competitiveness

  • 1 Technical University of Sofia branch Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Abstract

Industrial enterprises are entering a phase in which competitiveness is increasingly shaped by advanced digital technologies and the organizational capabilities that transform them into measurable outcomes. This paper analyzes how Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and automation influence operational excellence and how their effects are mediated by leadership, knowledge management capabilities, digitalization maturity and e-HRM systems. Based on the resource-based view and dynamic capability theory, a capabilitymediated framework is proposed. Evidence from Tata Steel, Freeport-McMoRan and Siemens demonstrates that technology alone does not ensure competitiveness; value emerges when digital systems are embedded into organizational routines, governance mechanisms and workforce development processes.

Keywords

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