Industry 4.0 Entrepreneurship Education and Sustainability in a Game-Changing Post-COVID-19 Era: Innovation, Creativity, Business Integration, Technology Skills, Leadership, and Communication

Introduction

The 21st century brought significant changes worldwide, highlighting the importance of Industry 4.0 Entrepreneurship Education and Sustainability (United Nations (UN), 2021, p.1). What is more, it became crucial to include education for sustainability (EfS) in all educational programs and in all business activities (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 2022). Furthermore, Industry 4.0 Entrepreneurship Education is linked with incorporating the digital innovation at all levels, aiming to improve creativity, business integration, technology skills, leadership, and communication (European Commission (EC), 2022a).

This book chapter focuses on the following main areas, as presented in the lines below:

• Step 1:

  The book chapter centres on finding an answer to the key question (research question RQ1): “Are entrepreneurship education and sustainability reliable tools for key emerging technologies like automation, additive manufacturing, and the Industrial Internet?”

• Step 2:

  The book chapter focuses on better understanding (research question RQ2): “Does the future of inclusive and robust Sustainable Development (SD) implying new opportunities for local entrepreneurs due to Industry 4.0?”

• Step 3:

  The book chapter concentrates on presenting and describing the implications of the following pivotal question, as follows (research question RQ3): “Are countries ready for those entrepreneurship and education policies promoting new business practices models based on Artificial Intelligence?”

Based on specialists’ recent studies, education is responsible for creating a better understanding of the role and the importance of sustainable development in terms of entrepreneurship and industry (European Commission (EC), 2022b). Also, according to the most recent findings in the field, Industry 4.0 Entrepreneurship Education has the power to promote behaviour change and to provide individuals with the main competences and skills required to achieve sustainable development and sustainability (European Commission (EC), 2022c; Popescu, 2022c).

Background

These days, there is a tremendous interest in presenting, promoting and understanding the role of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in all areas and at all levels, all around the Globe. Higher education programs are called to emphasize, on the one hand, the opportunities offered to individuals and businesses by the Industry 4.0 Entrepreneurship Education and, on the other hand, the necessity to comply to a sustainable way of living and of working (European Commission (EC), 2014). It is also believed that the success of higher education programs focused on the Industry 4.0 Entrepreneurship Education and sustainability will be represented by the capacity of these programs and plans to reverse all the unsustainable trends and mainly focus on: (a) the responsible use of energy and the sustainable systems of transportation; (b) the responsible consumption habits; (c) the sustainable production programs; and (d) health and responsibilities towards our Planet and its citizens (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), 2020).