LABORATORY 4.0: PROPOSED METHODOLOGY FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LABORATORIES
In recent years the digital transformation has gained prominence in the industry. No wonder that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is currently underway, which its main characteristic is the use of digital technologies. In industrial R&D laboratories, digitization increases data collection capacity, for example. Online sensors connected to the equipment provide real-time information about experiments, ensuring greater control for the researcher. The use of computer simulators reduces the need for bench testing, which in turn reduces costs and development time. However, despite the recognized benefits of digitization, many companies are failing to put digital technologies into practice. This is accentuated in the chemical sector, considered digitally backward when compared to other industries, such as the automotive industry, for example. In practice, projects are even started in the areas of the companies, but few actually go beyond the initial testing stage. So, how should the process of conducting the digital transformation in R&D laboratories be in order to maximize the success of technological solutions? The main objective of this study is to propose a plan for the execution and control of digital transformation in R&D laboratories of chemical companies in order to leverage the effectiveness of digital solutions. Two tools will be used: Maturity Map, suggesting the necessary path to gradually reach the desired digitization levels, pointing out the minimum prerequisites to advance in level; and the technological roadmap, responsible for indicating the technologies needed at each maturity level. A preliminary assessment of the areas that make up the company's R&D center will be carried out to map the real needs of the sectors that will comprise the target of the digital plan. As a final product, we will seek to present a plan defining the steps to be taken, as well as the technologies to be used in the company in relation to each level of digital maturity to be reached.