Semantic interoperability in IoT for Industry 4.0: Review, taxonomy, challenges, and future research

Abstract

Semantic interoperability is a critical enabler for achieving the Industry 4.0 vi sion, ensuring that heterogeneous IoT devices, systems, and applications can ex change and interpret data consistently. Despite its importance, achieving seman tic interoperability continues to pose significant challenges due to the diversity of data formats, standards, and ontologies used across industrial IoT environ ments. This paper presents a comprehensive review and taxonomy of semantic interoperability within Industry 4.0, analyzing existing frameworks, protocols, and ontological models. We classify current approaches based on their architec tural layers, semantic technologies, and application domains. Additionally, this study identifies the limitations of prevailing solutions, highlights open research challenges, and proposes future directions for enhancing semantic interoperabil ity in industrial IoT systems. The insights provided aim to support researchers and practitioners in developing scalable, secure, and semantically aligned IoT ecosystems for Industry 4.0.