Evaluating Critical Barriers to Industry 4.0 Adoption in the Thai Automotive Sector Using an Integrated Fuzzy BWM-PROMETHEE II-DEMATEL Framework

Abstract

This study investigates the barriers to the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in the Thai automotive industry, which is a major economic growth and export competitiveness driver. It aims to offer evidence-based prioritization of barriers and causal relations to inform firms and policymakers in the transformation of smart manufacturing. The methodology follows three stages of multi-criteria decision-making model. Based on a literature survey and expert knowledge, the integration of Fuzzy BWM-PROMETHEE II was used for prioritization. Then Fuzzy DEMATEL is employed to illuminate the causal relationship among critical barriers. The Fuzzy BWM results highlight Customization, Flexible Production, Human–Machine Collaboration, and Cybersecurity as the most influential practices supporting I4.0 implementation. While analysis of Fuzzy PROMETHEE II and DEMATEL together identifies High Initial Investment, Supply Chain Integration as critical barriers and dominant causal drivers that influence other dependent barriers. Addressing these two factors initially helps accelerate digital readiness and enhance transformation performance. The study presents the advanced systematic ranking of I4.0 adoption barriers in the Thai automotive industry. The integration of Fuzzy BWM-PROMETHEE II-DEMATEL framework has a novel methodological contribution and also provides useful decision support to strategic planning and resource allocation.