Technological progress has been continuously changing the fashion industry and the way our society works, produces and consumes. Industry 4.0 focuses on cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things and cloud computing and is extended to the entire supply chain beyond manufacturing, to all textile and apparel supply chain functions, including forecasting, consumer research, design, product development, merchandising, sourcing, production, retailing and distribution. The rise of robotics and Artificial Intelligence calls for new skills and competencies. Fashion industry employees are expected to have appropriate competency. The new age employees need to be equipped with a new set of skills in order to master technology, explore new possibilities, convert the new ideas into actions, communicate and collaborate with other people and with machines. In addition, a new way of thinking is developing in the digital environment, called Digital Intelligence. It could be considered as the outcome of people's need and their effort to adapt themselves to the continuously expanding digital environment. On top of that, as more complicated digital technologies will appear in the future, digital intelligence could probably evolve into the most necessary type of intelligence for success in the digital era. Despite the great importance of the subject, there is a gap in research that examines the required digital competency and intelligence of the future workforce in the apparel industry especially in our country. Such research will provide academic programs with an up-to-date assessment of potential industry workforce needs, allowing educators to make necessary changes to their curricula to better prepare students with the required skillsets.
Continuous technological progress undoubtedly affects and changes, in addition to our daily lives, every industrial activity. Smart devices, wearables, the Internet of things, Big data, smart industries, cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, robotics, human-machine interaction, social media and digital integration in all areas have changed the way we work, communicate, travel, being educated, consume, produce, live and form our lives.
From all these changes, the apparel industry could not be an exception. Although at a slower pace than other industries, the fashion industry was not unaffected by the technological revolution, the so-called 4th Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0. New ways of production, new ways of communication, transactions, distribution, suppliers and customers approaches, run through the entire clothing chain. Workers in the clothing industry could not be unaffected by the new reality. Different ways of working and working environments, new tools, different working conditions, creation of new jobs and elimination of others, teleworking, different qualifications of the workforce, advanced requirements that an employee has to master in order to meet the new conditions in Industry 4.0, constitute the new reality.
In this reality some questions need to be answered. What are the characteristics of the new digital environment and what is the position of the clothing industry in the age of industry 4.0? How does artificial intelligence affect the environment of modern industry and in particular the clothing sector and what impact does this have on those employed in it? Are the employees and the future employees equipped with the appropriate qualifications of the new era? What are these qualifications? As the clothing industry incorporates more and more digital tools, what knowledge, skills and attitudes should the workforce need in order to make the most of the potential of "digital fashion"? Future employees must possess digital competency in the Industry 4.0. But how can we define a framework for the digital competency of employees as required by the modern fashion industry? Or do we now have to talk about a new way of thinking, the so-called digital intelligence in order to respond to a more conscious effort of people to adapt to a constantly changing environment? Our literature review shows the lack of research data on the digital qualifications that people in the modern clothing industry have and should have. We aim to highlight the importance of exploring the digital competence of workers in the modern apparel industry. It is becoming clear that this will help to carry out appropriate training programs but also to cultivate a more general philosophy of lifelong learning of the workforce, in order to adapt and meet current and future requirements.
The world is constantly changing and evolving at a rapid rate, this
has affected many companies and the entirety of their supply
chain including all of its actors. This dynamic nature has put
pressure on companies to innovate, collaborate and redesign
business processes that best fit their business; hence, this calls for
incorporation of various technologies and integrated enterprise
solutions to manage complex and intricate processes [
The increasing digitalization of all manufacturing and
manufacturing-supporting tools is resulting in the registration of
an increasing amount of actor-and sensor-data which can support
functions of control and analysis. Digital processes evolve as a
result of the likewise increased networking of technical
components and, in conjunction with the increase of the
digitalization of produced goods and services, they lead to
completely digitalized environments. Those are in turn driving
forces for new technologies such as simulation, digital protection
or virtual responsibility and augmented reality [
With the deep integration of intelligent technologies in the
manufacturing industry, there has been a digital transformation
that has changed the traditional production and operations
management methods and offers the potential for the
improvement of product development, production efficiency and
customer service [
Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and
automation are transforming the world of work. Developing the
appropriate digital skills in the workforce is an important
component in order to compete in this rapidly emerging global
digital economy [
The increasing fusion of Industrial production and Information
and Communication Technologies (ICT) has brought the so-called
Industry 4.0 into the manufacturing world. This phenomenon is
making possible to connect information, objects and people due
to the convergence of the physical and the virtual worlds and is
enabling the transformation of factories into smart environments
[
In the new era of Industry 4.0, the development and adoption of
digital technologies has become one of the most frequently
trending topics in both academic and professional areas. The term
“digital technologies” refers to a collection and a paradigm of
various intelligent and innovative technologies in the era of
Industry 4.0, such as big data analytics, the Internet of Things and
cloud computing, which realize connectivity, communication and
automation [
The economic impact of this industrial revolution is supposed to
be huge, as Industry 4.0 promises substantially increased
operational effectiveness as well as the development of entirely
new business models, services and products. Enabled through the
communication between people, machines and resources the
fourth industrial revolution is characterized by the integration of
the Internet of Things (IoT) into the manufacturing process, the
fusion of the physical and the virtual world and smart factories
connecting people, machines, products and data. These
connections lead to new ways of organizing and conducting
industrial processes [
More recently, scholars suggest that the concept of Industry 4.0
could be extended beyond manufacturing or factories to the entire
supply chain. With the help of information technology, data from
each supply chain member can be shared with the whole supply
chain instantly. Logistics and finance departments would also get
instantly updated in order to prepare shipping and distribution
needs. Simultaneously, the feedback of production information
could guide marketing and sales teams to help develop timely
retail and promotion strategies, ultimately responding to
endusers’ behavior [
Connecting people, objects and systems leads to the creation of
dynamic, self-organized, cross-organizational, real-time
optimized value networks, which can be optimized according to a
range of criteria such as costs, availability and consumption of
resources [
The consequences for fashion industry leaders are clear: more
than ever before, they need to refocus on a few truly
distinguishing core capabilities to create sustainable value in the
future. Digital capabilities are vital for moving forward with
Industry 4.0. Apparel industry businesses must be proactive and
adopt and adapt to new mindsets and management tools and
digital culture to take full advantage of information technologies
[
Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with recent emerging
technologies such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), big data
analytics, cloud computing and cyber physical systems will enable
operation of industries in a flexible, efficient, and green way [
With the emergence of the big data era, companies, and more
especially fashion companies, are faced with a new relationship
between consumers, suppliers, and competitors. Fashion
companies have also to manage different data with many and
complex correlations and dependencies between them and
uncertainties related to human factors. It is crucial for companies
to master these data flows to optimize their decision making. In
such situations, artificial intelligent techniques are particularly
efficient. The potential applications of artificial intelligence in
fashion industry cover a wide scope from design support systems
to fashion recommendation systems through sensory evaluation,
intelligent tracking systems, textile quality control, fashion
forecasting, decision making in supply chain management or
social networks and fashion e-marketing [
AI is constantly integrating with industry. AI can improve the
efficiency and quality of integrated innovation, enhance the
flexibility of production, enrich the channels and forms of
communication, stimulate the satisfaction and promotion of
consumer demand, and deeply affect the development of fashion
industry [
Rapid changes in the nature of work, influenced by the adoption
of new technologies across all sectors, have stimulated an
everincreasing debate in industry, as well as in policy and academic
writing in recent years. At the heart of the debate are questions
about the nature and impact of the changes, and the specific
character of the skills that are and will be required by the
workforce [
Industry 4.0 will lead to dynamic, international and
interdisciplinary work environments. For being able to always
adapt the latest technologies and make the most out of them,
fashion schools graduates should apply life-long learning. Apart
from behavioral competencies, graduates must also bring domain
related competencies as well as the ability to apply expertise and
use technology. In this area all graduates need to bring IT and
technology affinity [
It is expected that future workers must possess digital ability and
skills, or competency, to efficiently deal with digital resources and
environments. Particularly, to address digital competency,
researchers argue that future professionals must possess digital
intelligence, which indicates the ability to adjust in the digital
environment, and information, media, and technology skills [
According to DQ Institute [
One of the Digital Intelligence competencies is Data and AI
Literacy, that is part of Digital Competitiveness ability. Digital
Competitiveness is the ability to solve global challenges, to
innovate, and to create new opportunities in the digital economy
by driving entrepreneurship, jobs, growth and impact. According
to DQ Institute [
More specifically, in terms of knowledge, Data and AI Literacy,
means that individuals understand the theory of data analysis,
statistics, and AI-related mathematical concepts and computer
programming. They understand how data is generated, how to
process data based on statistical understanding, and know how to
create and/or use AI algorithms (e.g., machine learning, neural
networks, deep learning) to recognize significant patterns and to
improve decision-making processes. They understand concepts
across multiple disciplines and identify the benefits, limits, and
risks brought about through big data, AI, and related technology
[
In terms of skills, individuals develop efficient and stable
processes to collect, store, extract, transform, load, and integrate
data at various stages in the data pipeline. They read, manage,
analyze, and process data from a variety of sources, and prepare
data in a structure that is easily accessed and analyzed according
to specific requirements. They create and build knowledge by
analyzing data and communicate its meaning to others with
various data visualization tools. With understanding of AI, they
develop, select, and apply relevant algorithms and advanced
computational methods to enable systems or software agents to
learn, improve, adapt, and produce desired outcomes or tasks [
Researchers in their study [
The European Commission's science and knowledge service
defines The Digital Competence Framework 2.0 and identifies the
key components of digital competence in 5 areas: Information and
data literacy, Communication and collaboration, Digital content
creation, Safety and Problem solving [
The current workplace requires highly skilled workers faced with
increasingly complex and interactive tasks. Such workers are
expected to efficiently select knowledge from the amount of
available information and effectively apply such knowledge, both
in their professional and personal lives. Employees not only need
excellent technical preparation; they also need sufficient skills to
adapt to the changing requirements of the job. Such skills are
critical for both people and organizations for keeping up with
developments and innovating products and processes. The
growing impact of globalization and the knowledge society have
led many to argue that 21st century skills are essential to be
successful in the workplace and that ICT is central to their
development. Importantly, these skills go beyond the mere
technical annotation. How someone thinks, solves problems, and
learns, has a greater impact on a person's ability to function in a
technologically rich society than just being knowledgeable about
specific software [
Technology has supported changes that have reshaped
workplaces and the nature of work, which include flatter
management structures, task teams, and cross-organizational
networking. Since employees’ skills drive organizations’
competitiveness and innovation capacity, the rapid integration of
new information communication technologies results in
continuously evolving digital skills necessary for employment and
participation in society. In an age where ICTs predominate, people
need the capabilities to thrive in and beyond education. The
current workplace requires employees who can find, process and
structure information; who can solve problems; who are creative
innovators and who exhibit effective communication and
cooperation abilities [
A significant conclusion is that there has to be a transformation
of job processes as well as position redesigns for the purpose of
ushering in this new era of employees plus technologies for more
effectual outcomes as collaborative units in this industrial
revolution encompassing artificial revolution. Artificial
intelligence’s influence on the workplace is expected to be
profound. Certain jobs, professions, plus definite skills will wane;
conversely others will increase and change as people complete job
tasks while working beside consistently changing and
progressively adept machines. The major task is to preserve the
flexibility to improve through people, processes, and technology,
while splintering blockades that obstruct harmonious change
through knowledge growth and collaboration [
Particularly in smart manufacturing and factories, computer
controls, modelling, big data and other automation technologies
will be heavily utilized to improve product development,
manufacturing, and distribution efficiencies; employees are asked
to not only manipulate all the tools or technologies but also
possess the abilities and skills to analyze the digital data created
by the digital terminals, and to make optimized working decisions.
These supply chain functions may need additional training or
development to be efficient with digital resources [
While digital fashion is a reality, and there is a strong industry
interest in the domain of digital fashion communication, the
academic research and the educational offer in the related field are
on their initial stages. Based on the changes happening in the
fashion industry, the specific skills that are required by the
employees of the industry are also changing. Currently employers
in the fashion industry tend to choose new employees that are
skillful in information technology, being innovative and creative.
Unfortunately, the exact set of skills and competences that are on
demand today in the digital fashion domain is still unclear and
under-researched [
It is not enough to accept that digital skills are essential for the workforce in the fashion industry. It is imperative that we define a framework for defining and evaluating them, so that employees have the opportunity to know how they can become more competent and effective in their work.
Especially in the apparel industry the field of workforce qualifications remains quite unexplored. In addition to exploring the required qualifications, it is necessary to develop a framework as well as their evaluation procedures. Apart from formulating a broader qualification framework for the industry as a whole, unfortunately very few studies examine the digital skills held by employees as well as what digital skills and to what extent are required by the modern apparel industry.
The current education systems need to be examined given the arrival of the AI-based wave of technological change. Τhe education system with its current structure may no longer be sufficient when it comes to educating future workers or retraining workers who expect to have an increasingly lengthy work career in a world that continuously changes. To better prepare future employees in the apparel industry, training programs need to be updated and modernized to meet the new data. Students in fashion schools cannot be left behind. It is imperative that they acquire the qualifications to claim all the opportunities for professional development but also to give, in turn, a new impetus to the fashion chain, which is so in need.
We believe that Artificial Intelligence and new technologies could not replace humans. Without human intelligence no technology is enough. We argue that man and technology can only function effectively as a whole and in collaboration. To do this effectively the workforce must be equipped with all the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to contribute to the production of better products and services and to a better quality of life.