Industry 4.0 is the introduction of digital technologies in industries. This phenomenon encompasses technologies such as sensorisation, Big Data, Data Analytics and Machine Learning, autonomous robots, 3D printing, augmented reality, artificial vision, the cloud, cybersecurity, etc.

In recent years, this digital transformation has been bursting onto the business ecosystem. Data such as the fact that the United States is going to invest around 900 billion dollars a year in the modernisation of its industries, or the nearly thirty European initiatives that exist to finance digital transformations, such as "Connected Industry 4.0" or Basque Industry 4.0, are proof of this. However, the management of this change will only be sustainable if the professionals involved have the necessary skills and competences to work with and manage these technologies.

"At Tecnun we have designed a 4.0 skills development programme so that the future engineers trained in our classrooms can develop the talent that is in demand in today's industry," says Iñigo Gutiérrez, development director at Tecnun. "After two years working with more than twenty pioneering companies in the use of 4.0 technologies, we have identified the skills most in demand by today's industry and we have validated a programme of training activities for our students to improve their training. This programme is the result of a joint effort in which we have combined the knowledge of industry professionals with the teaching and research experience of the Master's lecturers," says Álvaro Lleó, lecturer in the Department of Industrial Organisation.

Description and Methodology

The 4.0 skills development programme of the Master's Degree in Industrial Engineering at Tecnun offers Master's students the possibility of developing the skills most in demand in Industry 4.0.

This programme is based on the following activities: on the one hand, a series of lectures organised jointly with the Official College of Industrial Engineers of Gipuzkoa. On the other hand, in face-to-face classes, theoretical explanations will be complemented with exercises and challenges so that students learn proactively. In addition, students will have the opportunity to take part in a personal mentoring programme to design their own skills development plan. Finally, they will also be able to carry out their Final Master's Project by designing a solution to an Industry 4.0 problem. The degree to which students acquire and develop 4.0 competencies will be assessed by means of rubrics and mentoring follow-up.

Certification

After completing the programme, students can obtain two levels of certification: intermediate and advanced. Students who have passed all the subjects of the Master, have attended 80% of the lectures given and have completed 4 personal mentoring interviews will be certified at the intermediate level.

To obtain the advanced level, in addition to the above, the student must have completed the Final Master's Project on a 4.0 challenge and obtain an outstanding grade from the defence panel.