Do industry 4.0 technologies matter when companies backshore manufacturing activities? An explorative study comparing Europe and the US

The objective of this chapter is to analyze the impact (if any) of Industry 4.0 enabling technology on firms’ decision to relocate to the home country their offshored production activities. In particular, the chapter analyzes whether Industry 4.0 technologies may represent a driver/motivation or an enabling factor for companies which are evaluating such a strategic alternative. In order to reach such an objective, a two-step explorative methodology has been applied. After implementing a structured literature review, empirical evidence of backshoring decisions implemented by both European and US companies has been analyzed. Collected findings show that the majority of sampled articles conceptualize Industry 4.0 technologies as a driver. At the same time, empirical findings show some interesting differences between European and US companies adopting backshoring decisions based on/enabled by Industry 4.0 technologies. Finally, competences (related to both the manufacturing activities as a whole and the Industry 4.0 technologies) emerge as one of the most critical issue for investigated companies.