Digital Intelligence as Prerequisite of Artificial Intelligence's Integration in the Clothing Industry 4.0.

Technological progress has been continuously changing the fashion industry and the way our society works, produces and consumes. Industry 4.0 focuses on cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things and cloud computing and is extended to the entire supply chain beyond manufacturing, to all textile and apparel supply chain functions, including forecasting, consumer research, design, product development, merchandising, sourcing, production, retailing and distribution. The rise of robotics and Artificial Intelligence calls for new skills and competencies. Fashion industry employees are expected to have appropriate competency. The new age employees need to be equipped with a new set of skills in order to master technology, explore new possibilities, convert the new ideas into actions, communicate and collaborate with other people and with machines. In addition, a new way of thinking is developing in the digital environment, called Digital Intelligence. It could be considered as the outcome of people’s need and their effort to adapt themselves to the continuously expanding digital environment. On top of that, as more complicated digital technologies will appear in the future, digital intelligence could probably evolve into the most necessary type of intelligence for success in the digital era. Despite the great importance of the subject, there is a gap in research that examines the required digital competency and intelligence of the future workforce in the apparel industry especially in our country. Such research will provide academic programs with an up-to-date assessment of potential industry workforce needs, allowing educators to make necessary changes to their curricula to better prepare students with the required skillsets.