Industry 4.0 refers to the fourth industrial revolution and technological evolution from embedded systems to cyber-physical production systems. A great challenge for the future lies in the transfer of Industry 4.0 concepts and technologies to small and medium sized enterprises. Despite the expected strong potential of Industry 4.0 in small and medium sized firms, fundamental models for its introduction and application are missing. The research project titled ‘SME 4.0 – Industry 4.0 for SMEs’ aims to close and overcome this gap through the creation of an international and interdisciplinary research network working on this topic.