Evolution of Industry 4.0 in the Fashion Sector: A Comparative Analysis Before and After COVID-19

Abstract

The use of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies has proven useful in counteracting the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The fashion industry has undergone a significant transformation, known as fashion 4.0, which has revolutionized product marketing strategies, facilitating direct access to consumers. This research focuses on the evolution of Industry 4.0 technologies and their impact on the fashion industry, with an in-depth analysis, using Scopus database, of the literature published before and after the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic; this latter is taken as the dividing line for evaluating possible changes in the introduction or usage of some I4.0 technologies in the fashion context. Results show that the fashion industry has suffered significant impacts due to the global crisis but has partially overcome the challenges through the adoption of some specific I4.0 solutions such as robotics, big data, Artificial Intelligence or the Internet of Things. These tools have improved productivity and process flexibility, leading to significant changes in the fashion industry.