# Shipbuilding 4.0: A Systematic Literature Review
## 1 Introduction
### Industry 4.0 and Shipbuilding  
The concept of I4.0 was introduced to the public in 2011 at the Hannover Fair, marking the evolution of cyber-physical systems (CPSs) into cyber-physical production systems (CPPS). In the era of I4.0, CPPS allows production systems to make intelligent decisions through real-time communication and collaboration between \"manufacturing things\". This enables the flexible production of high-quality personalized products at mass efficiency [7; 8].  
The shipbuilding process, from the initiation of contracts and design to the actual construction, is conducted concurrently. The industry is characterized by its reliance on intensive labor and is a complex assembly process. To construct a vessel, significant amounts of labor, production costs, time, and resources are necessary [5]. Ships are composed of millions of similar yet predominantly unique intermediate products. Initially, during the production phase, the resemblance among these intermediate products is substantial, making automation feasible for certain processes. However, as production advances, this similarity diminishes significantly. Consequently, the automation levels in shipyards are typically low and skewed towards the early stages of production [6].  
It is crucial to underscore the integration of design and manufacturing processes in shipbuilding. This integration is achieved through decentralized design in real time, where manufacturing information is collected, optimized, and integrated by an intelligent system. This collaborative approach aims to enhance the alignment of ship design and manufacturing processes, thereby optimizing the entire product life cycle [3]. Digital continuity, I4.0, and product life cycle management (PLM) represent significant challenges for companies that span the entire product life cycle, including those in the aerospace, shipbuilding, and automotive industries [5].  
Particularly in the context of vessel design and manufacturing, the transition to new methods, processes, and enterprise information systems presents unique challenges for the management of product information. I4.0 and PLM systems represent pivotal digital continuity initiatives within the shipbuilding industry [5]. Technologies such as additive manufacturing (AM) and augmented reality (AR) are poised to play a pivotal role in ship maintenance and manufacturing strategies, leveraging the informativeness potential of both [3]. The shipbuilding industry currently confronts challenges related to its survival and sustainability. One strategy for addressing these challenges is the active integration of smart manufacturing technology [6].  
However, shipbuilding presents a peculiar challenge: the shipbuilding industry exhibits distinct characteristics that set it apart from other sectors that are adopting I4.0 solutions [5]. Shipbuilding projects are characterized by their project-based nature, complexity, and individuality, necessitating a substantial level of specialized expertise [4]. Despite the disparate physical locations where each component of the ship is produced, these sites are part of the same manufacturing project, thereby constituting a form of distributed manufacturing. This complexity demands a strategic progression aligned with the principles of I4.0 to advance [1].