Development of the European Crafts sector and adoption of the I4.0 technologies. Madineurope: a case study on how to save crafts.

Abstract

The dissertation will focus on the figure of the European Craftsman analysing his main features, weaknesses and strengthens passing through the definition of crafts and all its implications. Widening the focus, I will talk about the sector in general taking a tour throughout history and talk about the industrial revolutions and how they affect the sector in order to better understand its evolution and its current state of affair, the forces driving its development, the reason of its survival after all the centuries. Finally, regarding the first chapter, I will deal with the potentialities of the Internet more specifically with E-Services, E-Learning, E-Business or E-Shops that offer endless technical opportunities and chances for individuals as well as companies today. Indeed, these new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) may simplify and professionalize processes and improve the competitiveness craft companies. Concerning the second chapter, it will deal with the technologies of the Industry 4.0 and the pros and cons of their adoption. Moreover, the chapter will explore the generic drivers and obstacles of Manufacturing 4.0 and the principles that characterize the artisanal and industrial production systems. Furthermore, I will dispute the problem of the skill gap among craftsmen and different generations of workers and the process of reskilling for the fourth industrial revolution in order to exploit at the maximum capacity all the benefits that technological development could bring to the sector. How European national policies are shaping the sector in order to foster digitalization? Last part of the chapter will response to this dilemma. Most of the EU governments have made I4.0 a priority adopting large-scale I4.0 policies to increase productivity and competitiveness and improve the high-tech skills of their workforce. I will explore the essential components of the national flagship I4.0 policies of Spain, UK, France, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Netherlands. Moving on we arrive at the pillar chapter of the thesis. The aim of this chapter is to outline the state of adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in the European Craftsmanship sector, the technologies adopted, in which phase of the value chain are exploited, the results obtained by the users, and, finally, the effect on the labour force. The study focused on the firms of the European craftsmanship sector located all around Europe, more specifically in 20 European countries. The universe consisted of manufacturing and service providing firms drawn from Mad’in Europe scrl database. Based on a structured questionnaire submitted through CAWI methodology, firms have been contacted and 128 firms answered to the survey. Finally, I will highlighting the most important results and advantages that the craftsmen have derived from the adoption of such technologies. In the last chapter, I will present as a case study: the company Mad’in Euorpe, it’s mission and vision and the way it is helping craftsmen all around Europe to survive and transmit their know-how to future generations through it’s digital portal, marketing strategies and network that can count members among the most important European institutions regarding cultural heritage preservation.