Leveraging industry 4.0 technologies to enhance supply chain resilience in the automotive industry

Abstract

This thesis analyzes studies focusing on the use of Industry 4.0 technologies to enhance supply chain resilience in the automotive sector, which is of critical importance in the face of contemporary crises such as the microchip shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines how technological solutions mitigate logistical vulnerabilities and optimize proactive risk management. The scope of the study includes a systematic review of the global scientific literature as well as an in-depth analysis of Turkey’s industrial ecosystem and automotive manufacturers. Methodologically, the research adopts a mixed-methods approach that combines a systematic literature review with bibliometric analysis using the PRISMA framework on a final dataset of 161 academic articles from the Scopus database covering the period 2011–2026. The findings indicate that big data analytics and artificial intelligence, in particular, play a leading role in enabling the transition from reactive to proactive management by facilitating the early prediction of disruptions. The study also reveals that the effectiveness of these tools is closely tied to the organizational maturity level of firms and the systemic interoperability between manufacturers and suppliers. In conclusion, the resilience of the automotive sector in the Industry 4.0 era lies not in the pursuit of rigid robustness, but in the strategic flexibility offered by a collaborative digital architecture.