Abstract
The objective is to analyze the trajectory of knowledge-intensive SMEs in Ciudad Juarez, with the determination to understand how the concept I4.0 has been defined. The methodology applied in- depth interviews with managers and visits to companies. The results show that the particular trajectory of the maquiladora industry in this city, as well as the experience in automation of local SMEs facilitate the appropriation of the new industrial model. The originality of the study relies on the fact that it is one of the few qualitative studies that explore the incursion of SMEs to I4.0 on the northern border of Mexico. The conclusions show that the adverse environmental conditions have meant that some SMEs fail in their evolution towards I4.0, while others have opted for hybrid models, and the most successful have managed to scale towards the new industrial model thanks to their relation with other institutions of the innovation ecosystem. The main limitation of the study is that sample is composed of 4 SMEs and the results cannot be generalized.
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