Engineering Workforce of the Future: Competence Barriers and Requirements in Central European and Asian SMEs

The increasing complexity and technological advancement of business environments, driven by Industry 4.0 and 5.0, underscore the necessity of Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) professionals in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This article explores the evolving competence requirements of IEM professionals, focusing on Central Europe and Asia. Structured into key sections, the article first outlines the IEM discipline’s transdisciplinary nature and its historical development. It then presents a comprehensive IEM competence model based on Central European research and prepares for its comparative validation in Asia through focus groups. The results highlight critical competences such as digital literacy, adaptability, and sustainability, alongside challenges like skills gaps, job displacement, and technological integration. The findings imply an urgent need for educational reforms to develop modular, proactive training conceptssystems that align with evolving SME demands. Ultimately, the study contributes to strengthening IEM education, ensuring future workforce readiness and SME competitiveness in globalized, technology-driven markets.