Framework for embedding industry 4.0 in UAE emergency management

Disasters, natural and man-made, are on the increase. It is universally accepted that global warning and climate change drive the rate and the severity of natural disasters. Rapid industrialisation, regional conflicts and socio-political tensions are increasing the occurrences of man-made disasters. Emergences created by these disasters need to be handled efficiently and effectively to reduce the impact on affected communities. Emergency Management Cycle with four phases (mitigation-preparedness-response-recover) is the de-facto approach in handling such emergencies. Although the UAE is not known for large-scale disasters, the underlying risk factors are increasing. The inception of Industry 4.0 gives an impetus to explore the use of the latest technologies in emergency management. An extensive review of literature concludes that no formal framework exists to integrate Industry 4.0 technologies in emergency management. Therefore, this research aims to design and develop a framework to facilitate the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies in the UAE National Response Framework. With the justification of the research through the extensive literature review, the thesis presents a comprehensive analysis of data collected from interviews and a questionnaire survey. Driven by the gaps and potential enhancements identified through those two exercises, this work continues to assess the probable use of industry 4.0 technologies in emergency management and analyse existing Industry 4.0 Readiness Models. The outcomes from the assessment and analysis are then used to build the I4EM (Industry 4.0 for Emergency Management) Framework, which incorporates four (4) major constructs, I4EM Application Repository, I4EM Technology Map, I4EM Readiness Model and I4EM Maturity Model. Three (3) reference models for Key Performance Indicators (KPI), knowledge management and digital twins are also added to realise the full potential of the I4EM Framework. The I4EM framework, together with three reference models, provides a holistic approach to integrating Industry 4.0 technologies in emergency management cycles and they collectively make a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in this field. As the government of the UAE has launched (in 2021) an ambitious strategy to become a global hub for Industry 4.0 technologies, the outlook for further research and development in this area is promising.