The last decade, manufacturing disruption is triggered mainly by the increasing role of data and technology in the production processes. Cyber-physical systems, Internet of things (IoT), cloud computing, analytics as well as data exchange between actors and processes have transformed the manufacturing landscape. Building on the theoretical foundations of Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) we explore the smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 concepts through a literature review and case scenarios. The purpose of this research is to explore the literature around these concepts and how they were developed and outline the innovation perspective around them. To achieve this, we conduct a literature review and we conclude the study by developing a set of case scenarios, research propositions and an agenda for future research