EU industry accounts for 15% of European value added and the industrial sector plays the role of a key driver for research, innovation, productivity, job creation and exports. One important measure in order to stop the decline of Europe's global industrial position is represented by Industry 4.0 aiming for the implementation of smart production and logistics. Industry 4.0 touches the entire supply chain comprising product design and development, operations management and logistics and by doing so new business models and structures are required. Currently, companies start to practice first steps in 3D printing, production in networks and smart logistics and begin to develop new organisational structures and business models to benefit more from the opportunities that the new technology offers. Empirical evidences of successful companies reveals that the new business models are oriented rather on service design, open innovation and network approaches than on the traditional concepts of industrial enterprises. Consequently, traditional industrial companies have to rethink and to renew their business structures and models in parallel with the ongoing implementation of Industry 4.0 to use the new opportunities. The main focus of Industry 4.0 is laid on the fusion of the virtual and the physical world so that also new concepts are required for managing information and business administration tasks in the context of Industry 4.0. One big step towards the implementation of such a concept is embodied by the Estonian concept of "e-Residency", which might be an appropriate e-business approach especially when taking into account the needs of internationally operating entrepreneurs and SME's. The paper addresses the research question of how new and sustainable business models and structures for Industry 4.0 might look like and in which direction existing traditional business concepts have to be developed to deploy a strong business impact of Industry 4.0. By focussing on the needs of entrepreneurs and SME sector the paper also discusses why e-residency might be the appropriate concept in the context of Industry 4.0.

Abstract. Re-industrialization enjoys a renaissance in Western economies due to the role of the industrial sector for innovation, productivity, and job creation. A very promising approach to bring back competitiveness in production seems to be the fusion of the virtual and the real world leading to smart manufacturing and logistics concepts. In Germany, the leading industrial country in the European Union this approach has been called "Industry 4.0" aiming to develop cyber-physical systems (CPS) and dynamic production networks in order to achieve flexible and open value chains in manufacturing of complex mass customization products in small series. Currently, manufacturing companies gaining experiences in production in networks and smart logistics and develop new organisational structures and business models which better benefit from the new technologies and which adapt faster to the rapidly changing network environments. The modern manufacturing models embrace modular and fractal approaches as well as network-orientation, flexibility and responsiveness. The paper investigates the relationship between networking, organizational development, structural frame conditions and sustainability in the context of Industry 4.0. The research is empirically validated by using data samples from a business reengineering project in an internationally operating high-tech manufacturing enterprise located in Estonia. The empiric analysis is based on semi-structured expert interviews and secondary data together with a case study approach.

Smart contracts are scripts on the top of the blockchain technology. They represent a form of automation by what the layers of intermediaries can be reduced or even completely replaced. Accordingly, blockchain smart contracting systems decrease transaction and enforcement costs as well as process time. Moreover, we argue, blockchain and smart contracts can facilitate cross-organisational collaboration and their underlying business processes. Hence, they are able to support the integration of entrepreneurs and SMEs into trans-national supply chains by reducing high entry barriers and weakening the dominating position of big players. This paper discusses the research questions how blockchain smart contracting can facilitate the implementation of collaborative logistics structures and how the integration of SMEs into sustainable maritime supply chains can be safeguarded. The research bases on expert interviews and case studies. The results showcase the potentials of using blockchain smart contracting in the environment of trans-national and multimodal supply chains.

Autonomously driving delivery robots are developed all around the world, and the first prototypes are tested already in last-mile deliveries of packages. Estonia plays a leading role in this field with its, start-up Starship Technologies, which operates not only in Estonia but also in foreign countries like Germany, Great Britain, and the United States of America (USA), where it seems to provide a promising solution of the last-mile problem. But the more and more frequent appearance of delivery robots in public traffic reveals shortcomings in the regulatory framework of the usage of these autonomous vehicles—despite the maturity of the underlying technology. The related regulatory questions are reaching from data protection over liability for torts performance to such mundane fields as traffic law, which a logistic service provider has to take into account. This paper analyses and further develops the regulatory framework of autonomous delivery robots for packages by highlighting legal implications. Since delivery robots can be understood as cyber-physical systems in the context of Industry 4.0, the research contributes to the related regulatory framework of Industry 4.0 in international terms. Finally, the paper discusses future perspectives and proposes specific modes of compliance.