BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The insurance industry stands on the brink of a fundamental transformation driven by the advent of Industry 4.0 technologies. Despite the growing significance of these technologies, there is a noticeable gap in accurately identifying driving factors and their prioritization within the specific context of Iran’s insurance sector. The primary objective of this study is to comprehensively identify key drivers for implementing fourth-generation technologies and determine strategic priorities for their adoption. The theoretical novelty of this research lies in providing an in-depth qualitative framework of these drivers, while its practical innovation consists in outlining an operational roadmap for managers and agents to navigate intelligently toward “Insurance 4.0.”
METHODS: This study is applied in purpose and mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) in nature, employing a descriptive-analytical approach. The statistical population comprised 12 experts, including company executives, insurance specialists, and university faculty members in relevant fields, selected via purposive sampling. Data collection occurred in two stages: first, through a review of theoretical literature, and second, via primary data gathered from in-depth expert interviews and questionnaires distributed among professionals. Qualitative data analysis utilized thematic analysis to extract concepts, while the MABAC method was employed to convert qualitative findings into quantitative metrics and prioritize the identified drivers.
FINDINGS: Analysis of interview and questionnaire data yielded 81 basic themes. These were categorized into 43 organizing themes and ultimately aggregated into 14 overarching themes representing the main drivers. Results from the MABAC model indicated