In the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) membership countries, the major challenge in coping with this new generation of technologies and the rise of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) is the need for qualified human resources to plan, oversee, and operate digital processes and services. Research on Capacity Development Needs for Industry 4.0 was initiated by the APO to provide comprehensive recommendations to all actors in the economy to address the critical requirements for human capital readiness to adopt Industry 4.0.
Analysis shows that all countries included in this research in the clusters of nascent economies, legacy economies, and leading economies show strength in their economic development dynamism and future-oriented governance structures and policies. Their main needs are currently similar. All share weaknesses in digital infrastructure, and most of them in science and R&D. Therefore, the recommendations focus on how governments, businesses, and related institutions could address R&D, innovation, industrial policies, education, and labor market policies. The publication is also available at the APO’s website: https://www.apo-tokyo.org/publications/papers/building-industry-4-0-capacity-need-analysis-of-six-apo-economies/.