Interface entre indústria 4.0 e trabalho humano: comparação das percepções dos professores universitários do Brasil e de Portugal sobre as competências para a nova era industrial

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, has brought a new demand for multifaceted competencies marked not only by in-depth knowledge of emerging technologies but also by the need for human behavioral skills. For education, the role of professors is essential in training professionals who are able to respond to this new demand. Considering that developed countries such as Portugal are more advanced in this adaptation compared to emerging countries such as Brazil, it becomes relevant to investigate this discrepancy. Therefore, this study aims to compare which competencies are most valued among university professors in Brazil and Portugal for the training of qualified workers to work in Industry 4.0. To this end, a questionnaire on the skills required for Industry 4.0 developed by the Organizations and Society Group (O&S) of the Federal Technological University of Paraná in partnership with other universities was administered to university professors in Brazil and Portugal. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, such as mean importance ratings and their respective standard deviations. As a result, the competency "basic literacy" was rated highest in both countries. In Brazil, the competencies received high importance scores but low performance ratings, with three domains standing out: soft skills, technical skills, and innovation. In contrast, Portuguese respondents showed a more balanced perception between importance and performance, with five out of the six domains ranked among the ten most relevant competencies. Therefore, this study sheds light on the differences between educational institutions in different countries with respect to Industry 4.0 and the labor market.