The problem of the research is urgent due to the need to develop a special style of thinking. This type is based on problem cognitive activity, focused on lean production, resource conservation, and supported by an automated system that provides resources for solving socioeconomic problems in the conditions of the fourth industrial revolution and the digital economy formation. The purpose of the research is to theoretically prove and experimentally verify the need to change methods, tools, organizational forms of teaching robotics for the purposeful development of environmental thinking and lean manufacturing as the demanded competencies of future specialists in the context of digital transformation. The research methodology is the analysis of psychological and pedagogical work, development strategies, concepts of education; methods of mathematical statistics, methods of psychodiagnostics and survey. The pedagogical experiment is based on the example of assessing the ecological thinking formation and the energy conservation skill in teaching robotics to train engineering, technical and management specialists. The research results. The study clarifies the concepts "environmental thinking", "lean production", and "environmental competence" in the context of training specialists for the digital economy, in particular, engineering and technology. The study substantiates the didactic potential of a robotics course for the formation of environmental thinking as a demanded skill of future engineers. The authors describe didactic principles, a model for teaching robotics in a personalized environment for the formation of environmental thinking as the basis for the introduction of innovations and the challenges of automation, globalization and competitiveness. The authors conclude that a robotics course with specially organized interdisciplinary design forms of activity supported by appropriate means and training methods is necessary. It will create additional conditions for the formation of environmental thinking and lean production skills as key professional competencies in the training of demanded specialists in the digital economy.