The changing role of the engineer in an industry 4.0 environment

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution is introducing a wave of digital technologies into the construction industry, including the internet of things, artificial intelligence, robotics, big data and cloud computing. This paradigm shift is fundamentally reshaping the Engineer’s workflow and the traditional skillsets required of construction industry professionals. This research examines how this global trend is manifesting within the Maltese context, investigating the evolving role of the Engineer and the industry’s preparedness for this change. A quantitative research approach was employed to gather empirical evidence. A structured questionnaire was distributed to Maltese construction industry professionals. Responses were analysed using IBM SPSS, through descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and non-parametric tests, Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney U-Test. This approach enabled the identification of correlations between company characteristics, levels of preparedness, and perceptions of benefits and barriers. The findings indicate that knowledge of Industry 4.0 is positively associated with readiness to adopt new technologies. Larger and more technologically mature demonstrated greater knowledge although barriers related to the cost and time required to implementation still outweigh perceived benefits in many cases. The study concludes that the Maltese construction industry remains at an early stage of Industry 4.0 adoption. Despite this, the research identified a strong interest among professionals to implement key technologies in the near future. This suggests the industry is on the brink of a significant transition, one that will necessitate strategic support to overcome existing barriers and fully realise the potential of digital transformation.