Advancing Skills for the Construction Industry in the Era of 4IR: A Bibliometric Analysis

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is transforming industries through automation, artificial intelligence, and data analytics, necessitating advanced skills in the construction sector. This study examines the evolving research landscape on 4IR and skills development in construction using bibliometric analysis. Data from 101 documents retrieved via Google Scholar through Publish or Perish software were analyzed. Google Scholar was selected for its broad coverage of academic content, including journal articles, books, dissertations, and conference proceedings. The bibliometric data were processed using VOS viewer, enabling a co-occurrence analysis of key terms such as “4IR”, “advancing”, “skills”, and “construction”. Findings revealed six major research clusters, focusing on 4IR technology adoption, advanced skill development, datadriven opportunities and challenges, construction education, and strategic integration of technology. The analysis highlights the critical role of leadership, innovation, and workforce transformation in implementing 4IR concepts successfully. It was also evident that South Africa is the only African country with substantial research on this focus. Despite growing research in this field, gaps remain in aligning technological advancements with specific skill requirements, particularly in resource-constrained environments like Africa and other developing regions. There is also a lack of comprehensive studies on integrating 4IR technologies into workforce training programs. A limitation of this study is its reliance on a single database (Google Scholar), which biases English-language publications. However, by leveraging bibliometric mapping, this research provides valuable insights for academics, industry practitioners, and policymakers, guiding them in navigating the evolving, technology-driven construction landscape.