The School of Economics, Management and Political Science at the University of Minho (EEG) is proud to announce that Hussein Magdy, a PhD student in Business Sciences, presented his doctoral thesis entitled “Industry 4.0 Adoption in Manufacturing SMEs: An Empirical Study on Cairo SMEs”, on 29 May 2026.
In the author’s own words:
"The adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies presents substantial opportunities for manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance productivity, foster innovation, and compete globally. However, the transition to I4.0 presents numerous challenges, particularly in developing regions such as Cairo, Egypt. This doctoral thesis investigates the adoption of I4.0 in manufacturing SMEs in Cairo, with the objective of developing a customized maturity model (MM) that accommodates their unique financial, technological, and organizational constraints.
This study conducts an extensive review of existing literature and critically evaluates 16 I4.0 maturity models (MMs) to identify key dimensions and maturity stages tailored to the needs of SMEs. Subsequently, a two-round Delphi survey involving 19 industry experts from diverse sectors, including automotive, textiles, metals, electrical equipment, and food & beverages, was conducted. The first round assesses the current ICT levels, key IT systems, and requisite skills for implementing I4.0 among Cairo SMEs, while the second round identifies the preferred dimensions and maturity items to construct a tailored MM.
The findings indicate a moderate level of ICT adoption, with extensive utilization of ERP systems but limited integration of more advanced technologies such as IoT, Big Data, and CPS. Through expert validation, the research underscores ten essential dimensions critical to digital transformation, including organizational strategy, smart factory operations, employee development, leadership, and information systems. The developed model delineates five progressive maturity stages: Initial, Foundation, Progress, Managed, and Maturity; providing SMEs with a systematic guide to achieving digital transformation aligned with their operational realities."
The doctoral thesis was supervised by José Crispim, a lecturer in the Department of Management at the School of Economics, Management and Political Science, University of Minho.
The EEG congratulates Hussein Magdy on his successful defence and wishes him every success in his professional and personal life!
