# Determinants to Adopt Industrial Internet of Things in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
## 1 Introduction
Despite standards evolving to enhance data transmission, the goal of seamless and real-time connectivity, essential to connected devices [9], is compounded by the variability in access to crucial infrastructure, particularly in remote areas. Moreover, the security issues and the heterogeneity of IIoT systems pose constraints [10]. This gap may affect the widespread adoption of the IIoT by SMEs. Furthermore, SMEs aiming to adopt the IIoT must navigate the challenges of integrating these devices into existing systems, a task complicated by legacy machinery that lacks modern data transmission interfaces [11]. Decision makers must ensure compatibility and seamless integration regarding IIoT implementation in SMEs. The IIoT enables effective monitoring and management of supply chains, optimizing decision-making processes and actions based on data-centric approaches [12]. Moreover, the manufacturer's critical production stream must be undisrupted. Newly introduced production line systems will require significant investment in training and acquiring skilled staff to ensure effective management [13]. Additionally, the decision makers' considerations of technical complexity and implementation costs must be addressed before implementation. Moreover, robust cybersecurity measures and policies must be introduced to protect against sabotage or data breaches [14]. These considerations must be acknowledged and communicated to decision makers alongside the benefits of transitioning SMEs to IIoT systems implemented on the plant floor. Previous studies attempted to investigate the factors influencing IoT adoption in manufacturing. First, top management significantly influences the desire to implement IoT technologies [15]. Besides top management's eagerness and support to implement the IoT, technology readiness and competitive pressure can boost the intention to adopt these emerging technologies [16]. In addition, the complex and challenging factors that arise from adopting the IoT need to be assessed as justifiable without extracting these challenges to ensure successful implementation [17]. Moreover, several studies investigate, specifically, transportation and logistics in IoT adoption [18; 19; 20]. One study observes that the level of IoT adoption is related to the company's size, where big companies can adopt these technologies more easily [21]. Limited studies focus on SME manufacturers keen to implement IIoT solutions, which we aim to investigate and address in this study. This study investigates the challenges and potential benefits of IoT adoption in SMEs, such as enhanced efficiency and competitive advantage [22], as well as the high rate of project failures caused by budget constraints and legacy system integration issues. Additionally, it aims to identify key challenges, develop integration strategies, elucidate cyber-security significance, and propose workforce development through industry-academia-government collaboration. The remainder of this study is organized as follows: Section 2 outlines the interview methodology and setting. Section 3 presents the results and thematic analysis of the interviews. Moreover, the themes extracted from the interviews are noted with participants' quotations. Section 4 discusses the findings from the thematic analysis and analyzes the most significant factors. Section 5 concludes with key findings and highlights open research problems for future exploration.