Ismar Frango Silveira ¹ Cesar Collazos ² Alicia García-Holgado ^3*

• ¹ Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
• ² University of Cauca, Popayán, Cauca, Colombia
• ³ University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

Historically, industrial operations adhered to a top-down leadership structure (Uhl-Bien et al., 2007), but today's information era is fundamentally data-driven (Bécue et al, 2021). Decision-making processes now hinge on timely data analysis, creating a competitive edge for companies that leverage this asset effectively. As a result, another paradigm shift has occurred: Industry 4.0. This movement integrates digital and physical systems, incorporating automated, intelligent technologies into nearly every industrial process (Lu, 2017). In this data-rich environment, the role of data has become as crucial to industrial success as physical machinery once was (Horlings, 2022). Industry 4.0 represents a profound shift, characterized by the fusion of physical and digital technologies. This revolution harnesses the potential of cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), and data-driven decision-making to create smart factories and intelligent, selfoptimizing manufacturing processes (Tyagi et al., 2024). Human-Computer Interaction emerges as a cornerstone of this transformation, enabling the design, creation, and optimization of technology with the human element at its core. By improving user interfaces and experiences, HCI offers industries unprecedented levels of productivity, innovation, and personalized solutions.A critical challenge in this transformative era is the development of interfaces that not only facilitate human-machine interaction but also simplify it, ensuring workers can harness the full potential of advanced machinery without being overwhelmed by its complexity. This research topic addresses multiple dimensions of these industry-oriented interfaces, including ergonomic design, intuitive user 37 advanced visualization tools, and augmented reality applications. 38 HCI crucial role in bridging the gap between humans and machines in the context of Industry 39 4.0 (Brückner et al., 2023) Furthermore, some of the papers included this special edition correspond to articles that have been 85selected and have submitted extended versions that have been presented at the IX Iberoamerican 86Conference on Human-Computer Interaction.