## 2 State of the Art
### Addressing the Gaps in Technology Roadmapping  
Despite the many methods and tools for TRMs that have been developed and adopted over the years and that we have briefly outlined, there is limited evidence about tools able to capture the influence of key variables such as industrial sector, firm size, and other important moderator variables and a literature gap in building the interface between TRMs and strategic alignment [34]. Confirming the still existing need to map and include organizational elements as well when approaching technology roadmapping, [35] developed a framework for a TRM that embeds both the technology readiness levels (TRLs) and several socio-technical elements.  
Applying technology roadmapping (TRM) at high level of detail is fundamental to foreseeing the evolution of technology within a specific company. This involves progressing from comprehending and evaluating its potential impact, to the stages of acquisition, integration with the existing systems, rollout, utilization, and deployment/exploitation (without overlooking considerations of its substitution).  
We argue that the digitalization of an enterprise and especially the digitalization of its physical assets require taking care of activities of customization and additionally sometimes of research and development. Although all the Industry 4.0 enabling technologies have a long history and are available \"off the shelf\", such technologies must be adapted to the actual industrial scenario that could show peculiarities and force small or important interventions. Therefore, sometimes the effort of research and development is a precondition to make the enabling technology really applicable and exploitable.  
In the realm of digitalization, large enterprises commonly undertake preparatory activities, including customization and research and development, as an inherent part of their expansive operations. However, the narrative takes a distinct turn for SMEs, where the onus of these propaedeutic activities often falls squarely on their shoulders. Unlike their larger counterparts, SMEs may lack the dedicated resources and specialized expertise to navigate the intricacies of digitalization initiatives. In fact, SMEs often struggle with limited financial resources, skill shortages, fragmented IT infrastructures, and an unclear strategic direction [36; 37]. These constraints hinder their ability to invest in advanced technologies or fully capitalize on digital initiatives. To address these barriers, several studies propose accessible frameworks and low-cost strategies tailored to the needs of resource-constrained companies. For instance, ref. [38] suggests phased implementation approaches, while [39] emphasizes the importance of organizational readiness and employee engagement in overcoming adoption inertia. Moreover, public support programs, digital maturity audits, and collaborative innovation ecosystems have been identified as enablers that help SMEs navigate the complexity of digital transformation in a more structured and manageable way [40; 41]. This stream of the literature provides important context for designing robust tools that can offer steadfast support in the development of various digitalization projects.