## 2 Literature Review
### Current State of I4.0 in Kazakhstan  
The I4.0 elements are gradually being introduced into the industrial development of every country in the world. Kazakhstan has introduced several I4.0 initiatives through governmental programs. The programs \"Digital Kazakhstan\" and \"Industrialization Program\" were adopted to increase the level of digitalization in all sectors of the industry [7]. As a result, the innovative project \"Seven Model Digital Factories\" was launched [47].  
The content of the \"Digital Kazakhstan\" program outlined three basic principles. The first is the digitalization of flagship industries by the introduction of modern technologies and approaches. The second is to provide the entire country with Internet access to develop digital economy sectors, such as telemedicine, e-commerce, etc. In addition, the last principle is to support startups and digitization projects with their subsequent implementation [48]. As a result, more than 30 projects of government agencies and domestic companies were presented at a special exhibition of digitization projects. The developments covered the following areas: industry, transport, security, finance, and innovation [48].  
The \"Digital Kazakhstan\" program obliged companies to digitize significant areas of activity to establish electronic interaction and qualitatively improve the lives of citizens of the country [49]. However, today, most companies are still characterized by the insufficient technological and organizational base for a full-fledged transition to I4.0 [50]. Therefore, the government should stimulate the I4.0 research sphere and popularize I4.0 among enterprises and the population.  
One of the actions taken by the Ministry for Investment and Development (MID) to develop I4.0 popularization programs is \"model digital factories.\" This program implies consulting and financial support for seven selected firms, helping them to implement I4.0 solutions. These companies are expected to be a practical example of I4.0 transformation within the Kazakhstan economic, social, and cultural context [47]. Due to the recency of the program, it is still early to produce some results.  
Despite that, the combination of governmental initiatives with the enthusiasm of private firms may produce valuable outcomes. One example is Sokolov-Sarybai Mining Production Association (SSGP) with its \"smart mine\" modular automated system. The solution aims to reduce downtime of the production facility by online monitoring of vehicles' status. The system can locate the malfunctioning unit, identify the type and degree of failure, and set up related tasks for operators. The crew is already received full technical training. The company expects to generate $28 million in profits due to the introduction of the \"smart mine\" [47].  
Despite various available information about I4.0, organizations still struggle to define the concept. The majority of existing sources indicate the tight intersections of terms digitalization with I4.0 and sometimes even interchange them [51]. This is one of the main reasons for the widespread misunderstanding of the I4.0 concept in Kazakhstan. Consequently, it is one of the main barriers to I4.0 implementation.  
Moreover, most of the existing sources in Kazakhstan do not analyze the needs of I4.0 stakeholders. For example, state strategies dedicated to developing the industry focus on state-defined indicators. However, they lack the real needs of \"implementers\" of those strategies and clearly defined steps [52]. Thus, this literature review was conducted to identify the research status and investigations within stakeholders. The identified _research gap_ indicates that the standpoint of involved parties should be studied. Therefore, in this study, the gap was addressed by conducting extensive interviews with 15 representatives of businesses in Kazakhstan.