Industry 4.0 Opportunities for Business: From Digital Twins to Augmented Reality
Industry 4.0 opens up new horizons for business, and the Master's programme 'Business Informatics' at HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod trains specialists capable of realising the full potential of these technologies. The curriculum centres around enterprise architecture as a modern methodology integrating business, organisation, information, and technology, producing graduates focused on the digital transformation of business.
Modern companies are increasingly taking advantage of the opportunities of Industry 4.0: from increasing production efficiency with the help of digital twins and artificial intelligence (especially in the oil and gas industry) to optimising the educational process and retraining personnel using augmented reality. In Russia, these trends are supported by key programmes such as the National Technology Initiative, the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation, and the national programme 'Digital Economy of the Russian Federation.'
Pavel Malyzhenkov, Academic Supervisor of the Master's programme 'Business Informatics'
Industry 4.0 places technology at the fundamental level of enterprise activity. That is why the ability to build enterprise architecture in the context of Industry 4.0 is so important. Enterprise architecture facilitates the integration of business processes and corporate IT systems into a single whole. Sustainable development is a modern paradigm in business objectives, and it cannot be achieved without an appropriate technological base. This comprehensive vision of enterprise and its systemic analysis serve as the educational basis of the Master's programme 'Business Informatics.'
One of the main advantages of using an architectural approach in an enterprise is a reduction in IT costs, since such an approach allows IT infrastructure to be brought into maximum compliance with the business needs of the enterprise.
The Zachman Framework is regarded as the first approach to formalise enterprise architecture, and it is used to bring the information and technological architecture of an enterprise into line with its business goals. Other methods studied in the programme include Archimet, TOGAF, and the Gartner methodology.
Alexandra Chelysheva, 1st-year student of the Master's in Business Informatics
There are many benefits to studying enterprise architecture on this master's programme. It provides an in-depth understanding of the organisation and business processes of companies, making it possible to effectively manage change and integrate different systems. The courses on the programme cover in detail how to apply a systematic approach to designing organisations using various frameworks (such as TOGAF). This knowledge contributes to more effective strategic planning, risk management, and resource optimisation, which ultimately increases a company's competitiveness.
During the training, we implemented projects using various notations, compiled use cases, and developed functional requirements for systems. These practical skills are very helpful to young specialists in their career development.
The study of enterprise architecture also serves as the basis for research activities. For example, the scientific work of student Anastasia Lapshina was presented at the III International Information Systems for Business Management Conference (ISBM) in Bangkok.
Participation in international events opens up opportunities for expanding the international contacts of HSE Nizhny Novgorod and cooperation in educational and scientific fields. This year, Associate Professor of the Department of Information Systems and Technologies Pavel Malyzhenkov spoke at the International Congress on Information and Communication Technologies (ICICT 2025) in London with the report 'The Sustainable Business Models Architectural Design in the Frame of Industry 4.0.' Following the congress, he held an online meeting with Indian colleagues, who expressed interest in cooperation.
Dr Ayan Chakraborty, Principal, Techno International New Town (TINT)
TINT has quite a developed network of international partnerships, but the experience of cooperation with Russian universities is new for us. I personally consider it very interesting and useful for both our students and teachers. Participation in the joint activities carried out by our institutions will give them an opportunity to get acquainted with the educational advances of HSE University.
Dr Swagata Paul, Dean for Academics, Techno International New Town
Russia is traditionally known for its strong scientific heritage in math and computer sciences. I hope such cooperation will contribute to the research and educational growth potential of TINT. The IT sector constitutes one of the main drivers of the Indian national economy and I think it’s a good point for the practical application of research results.
Nilanjan Dey, co-organiser of ICICT 2025, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Techno International New Town, India
I met Pavel Malyzhenkov last year in Bangkok at the ISBM 2024 conference. He told me about HSE University and outlined possible forms of cooperation. This time, we deepened our contacts and discussed possible directions of cooperation in both research and education, especially in possible joint academic programmes. I think this cooperation is very promising.