Industry 4.0 redefines talent
Technological companies are looking for hybrid profiles to face the new challenges of talent. This is confirmed by the ZF Industry 4.0 Talent study, prepared by the CZFB, which identifies the most demanded competencies for Industry 4.0
The capacity for continuous learning, adaptability, critical thinking, and the combination of technological and business skills are consolidated as some of the most sought-after profiles by Industry 4.0 companies. Digital transformation is redefining talent needs, professional competencies, and organizational models. In this context, the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) has produced the study ZF Industry 4.0 Talent.
The analysis, which counts on the participation of 72 companies from the industrial ecosystem –39 located at DFactory Barcelona and 33 start-ups installed at the Logistics 4.0 Incubator–, identifies the lack of hybrid profiles and analyzes the strategies that companies adopt to address it. Among the participating companies, 45.8% are start-ups, 23.6% small companies, 16.7% medium-sized companies, and 13.9% large companies.
The executive president of the CZFB, Pere Navarro, highlights that talent will be “the main factor of competitiveness for the new industry” and explains that the study was born with the desire to learn firsthand about the needs of the ecosystem's companies and contribute to reducing the gap between education and the labor market. “The results confirm that we must continue to strengthen the collaboration between industry, educational centers, and administrations to generate the talent that Industry 4.0 needs and guarantee sustainable and competitive growth,” he points out.
The study also confirms an evolution of technology companies towards the demand for hybrid profiles, which combine technical knowledge and business skills, over strict specialization. According to Blanca Sorigué, general director of the CZFB, “the great challenge of Industry 4.0 is not only to incorporate technology, but to attract, develop, and retain the right talent.” The growing demand for hybrid profiles and competencies such as adaptability and continuous learning, she adds, highlights “the need to strengthen the connection between company, education, and innovation.”
A paradigm shift
This paradigm shift shows that mastering technology is no longer enough. Companies increasingly value integration capacity, cross-sectional vision, and an understanding of the impact that technology has on the business.
Among the profiles considered most critical to drive Industry 4.0 are specialists in data and artificial intelligence applied to industry, automation and robotics professionals, and industrial software developers. These areas concentrate a large part of advanced digital transformation. However, the most difficult jobs to fill are not only technical. The main difficulty lies in hybrid technical profiles, with business vision and leadership capacity, followed by specialists in data and AI applied to industrial environments. The result confirms that the main talent deficit is cross-sectional and strategic.
Lack of talent and challenges
The lack of specialized talent is one of the main brakes on company growth, especially due to the lack of hybrid profiles and the mismatch between training and market needs. Filling key positions can take between one and six months, in an increasingly competitive labor market.
Faced with this situation, companies are opting to combine technical competencies and transversal skills, such as creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, adaptability, and the capacity for continuous learning. Internal training, reskilling, and upskilling become key tools for developing talent.
Labor flexibility, work-life balance, continuous training, and participation in innovative projects are the main factors for attracting and retaining professionals. Well-being, work-life balance, and purpose are especially valued: 80% of companies consider them factors of high or very high relevance. The study also detects room for improvement in diversity and equality, especially due to the low female presence in technical profiles.
Looking ahead to the next three to five years, companies determine three action strategies: attracting specialists, developing hybrid profiles, and boosting internal talent. These are the major challenges. In short, the study concludes that the main challenge of Industry 4.0 is not only technological, but also one of talent, organization, and business strategy.