The Role of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Technologies in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Everjoy Chipo Makazhe () and Tafadzwa Clemetine Maramura
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Everjoy Chipo Makazhe: Walter Sisulu University
Tafadzwa Clemetine Maramura: University of the Free State

A chapter in Corporate Practices: Policies, Methodologies, and Insights in Organizational Management, 2024, pp 985-998 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Today's world is dominated by technology, and with the advent of Industry 4.0 (The 4th Industrial Revolution 4IR), it is critical to harness the power of technology. This research investigates the potential of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies in advancing Agenda 2030 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and robotics are among the 4IR technologies that can disrupt traditional industries and processes while promoting sustainability. This research looks at how 4IR technologies can help achieve the SDGs, their effects on sustainability, and the key challenges and opportunities that come with their implementation in the African continuum. To understand this dynamic, this study employs the Technology Acceptance Model to examine how and the extent to which achieving the study's objective will culminate in promoting sustainable development in Africa. Consequently, the epistemological and ontological orientation of the research for this paper warranted a qualitative document-based research approach, hinged on the grounded theory approach, wherein theory is constructed from qualitative data. The findings, which were extracted from thematic analysis, show the exciting prospects of 4IR technologies for sustainable development, with most 4IR technologies having been discovered to be used to support water, education, and health, among other industries. This study recommends the development of 4IR technologies that maximize the positive impact of 4IR on sustainable development while mitigating potential risks.

Keywords: Industry 4.0; 4IR; Sustainable Development Goals; SDGs; Sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-981-97-0996-0_58

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DOI: 10.1007/978-981-97-0996-0_58

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