This paper attempts to answer the following question: what competencies seem essential for future managers of Industry 4.0? The pharmaceutical and automotive sector were selected for the purpose of study. Both sectors are oriented toward ongoing improvement of competencies. In the article a comparative analysis of the expectations of practitioners and visions of scientists, theoreticians and students was carried out.

In many sectors of the economy, the global changes brought about by COVID-19, the war in Ukraine and the ensuing economic crisis have challenged the hitherto used social competencies necessary to successfully manage companies in sustainable supply chains. The slogan of sustainability has now become a household word in the global economy. At the same time, the EU is moving from a 4.0 to a 5.0 economy, with increasing attention being paid to the soft competencies of future managers. This article aims to present the patterns of competencies in supply chains and to identify the relevance of specific social competencies for doing business in the face of the above challenges. The survey was conducted among selected experts from the healthcare industry, who were asked to identify the importance of social competencies. This choice was primarily motivated by certain characteristics of the industry. This work aims to determine which social competencies seem to be essential for future managers in sustainable supply chains and the transformation towards a 5.0 economy. The answer to this question is crucial for research and teaching centers aiming to educate future managers at the highest level of specific social competencies and skills in a business environment. Given the dynamic development of specific industries, it is reasonable to identify the needs in the areas of social skills.

Knowledge in complex systems (supply networks or inter-organisational networks) is refined, among others, through dialogue, discussion, common experiences and observations. Such a knowledge evolves from dispersed knowledge into a single, consistent resource, difficult to imitate or duplicate in a different system. The method of knowledge acquisition has been discussed in the SECI model. In this paper the model in question has been a point of departure for empirical studies. They present methods of knowledge acquisition in complex systems.