The purpose of the research process was to assess the state of knowledge on the use of Industry 4.0 postulates in the context of Engineer 4.0 and Manager 4.0 competencies in family firms, identify research gaps and outline future research directions. We conducted a systematic literature review of 21 articles from the Scopus database that relate to the topic of Industry 4.0 and Engineer 4.0 and Manager 4.0 in family firms. To identify the state of the art, keyword co-occurrence analysis using VosViewer software was used as an analytical tool. We identified the most influential journals and subject areas. The study allowed us to identify consistent clusters that show a wide variety of topics in the discussion of the mentioned topic. The results showed a wide dispersion of research interests and the lack of a single, in-depth or dominant research area dealing with the phenomenon worldwide. We recommend further research on family businesses and Industry 4.0. In addition, the lack of comparative research on family and non-family businesses should be addressed. Contribution and added value: Our systematic literature review systematizes the existing literature on Industry 4.0 in family firms, isolates key research interests, identifies future research directions and provides important insights for researchers.