The Challenges of Defining the Term “Industry 4.0”

Sustainability, 2020

There are more and more talks in the community of scientists and business practitioners about new challenges for industry in connection with the fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 is the result of the development of cyber-physical generation systems as part of the fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 sets new areas of change in the sphere of production and management but also exerts an impact on various aspects of society’s life. It is a transformational challenge for enterprises of the present age. Industry 4.0 is present in economic studies at the macroeconomic level and business at the microeconomic level. Scientists discuss the essence of change, and specialized research centers and consulting companies carry out research on various aspects of this industrial revolution. The article presents the range of expectations and changes in society towards the development of the concept of Industry 4.0. The work was based on a literature study and direct research in the fie...

Polish Journal of Management Studies , 2023

The ongoing revolutionary socioeconomic changes are particularly evident in the context of implementing the principles of Industry 4.0, aiming to enhance two categories: the efficiency of actions taken and productivity, influenced by the increasing level of process automation. The utilization of robots, automation, and virtual reality are elements that not only characterize the economic practice environment but also the daily life of individuals. The observed situation provided the impetus for conducting survey research, focusing on exploring the functioning of individuals in the environment of new technologies. Information was obtained regarding the knowledge of selected technological solutions among Poles, their understanding of their essence, and the predicted further evolution/regression in this domain by the respondents. The acquired empirical data, reflecting the researched reality, appear to align well with the results of literary studies concerning technological processes and their associated social consequences. Poles have shown awareness of the existence of advanced technologies in various sectors of the economy and daily life, and they more often expressed favorable positions towards the utilization of innovative solutions-recognizing them as convenient and facilitating various tasks. This study provides an opportunity to present the initial and selected conclusions regarding the gathered material.

Journal of Labor and Society, 2020

This study is an attempt to analyze the logic of technological progress critically within the context of the concept Industry 4.0 (thereafter I4.0). In this study, I4.0 and its subcomponents are considered as new discursive tools of technology driven strategies imposed by corporations and the public institutions. This study underlines that technological advancements should not be considered as neutral developments targeting the well-being of all. Since the companies and profit-driven public institutions try to find the ways of the possible benefits of the I4.0 debate, this study draws attention to the necessity of alternative strategies to prevent capitalist hegemony on technological advancements. This article also underlines that technological advancements manipulated by the ruling class segments of the world should be taken into account as one of the causes creating cross-country inequalities and intra-working class conflicts. On the other hand, a potential road map for pro-labor organizations—those which can take responsibilities for the working class struggle—in developing strategies to take the advantage of technological novelties for the benefit of all is discussed in the article. To sum up, it departs to analyze the concept I4.0 and the related issues with a critical perspective.

Procedia Computer Science, 2019

In the 18th century, when industrial production began, the use of steam and mechanized production caused serious changes in the economy. As a result, production costs have decreased alongside increase in product quantity and product quality. In this period, production has undergone a revolutionary transformation from manual labour to mechanization. In the following decades, the mass production with the help of electricity have resulted with the Industry 2.0 Era, and then, the emergence of digital revolution, the use of electronics and the use of information technologies in the production processes has triggered the Industry 3.0 Era. Today, the internet of objects, the industrial networks, the cyber-physical systems and the incorporation of robotic technologies into the production has brought the Industry 4.0 Age into the stage. Industry 4.0 has created a new production model where robots are effectively used in production, this new production model has begun to change the daily life, production and working relations as deeply as the first industrial revolution. However, the potential impacts of Industry 4.0 over the labour markets still remains as an understudied scholarly area. It is being evaluated that Industry 4.0 will lead to technological unemployment via changing the structure of employment and bring new structural problems in terms of unemployment and labour relations. Likewise, it is expected that automation and robotic production will deeply affect the unskilled labour force, and will cause a critical decrease in the workforce of vulnerable sections of society, i.e., women, migrants, youth and elderly. This study evaluates the probable effects of the 4th Industrial Revolution over the labour markets. Via the literature review and analysis of the emerging trends with Industry 4.0, the risks, opportunities and challenges of the process is being investigated within a comparative perspective. Abstract In the 18th century, when industrial production began, the use of steam and mechanized production caused serious changes in the economy. As a result, production costs have decreased alongside increase in product quantity and product quality. In this period, production has undergone a revolutionary transformation from manual labour to mechanization. In the following decades, the mass production with the help of electricity have resulted with the Industry 2.0 Era, and then, the emergence of digital revolution, the use of electronics and the use of information technologies in the production processes has triggered the Industry 3.0 Era. Today, the internet of objects, the industrial networks, the cyber-physical systems and the incorporation of robotic technologies into the production has brought the Industry 4.0 Age into the stage. Industry 4.0 has created a new production model where robots are effectively used in production, this new production model has begun to change the daily life, production and working relations as deeply as the first industrial revolution. However, the potential impacts of Industry 4.0 over the labour markets still remains as an understudied scholarly area. It is being evaluated that Industry 4.0 will lead to technological unemployment via changing the structure of employment and bring new structural problems in terms of unemployment and labour relations. Likewise, it is expected that automation and robotic production will deeply affect the unskilled labour force, and will cause a critical decrease in the workforce of vulnerable sections of society, i.e., women, migrants, youth and elderly. This study evaluates the probable effects of the 4th Industrial Revolution over the labour markets. Via the literature review and analysis of the emerging trends with Industry 4.0, the risks, opportunities and challenges of the process is being investigated within a comparative perspective.

Studia Europejskie - Studies in Europan Affairs, 2021

The concept of Industry 4.0 turns 10 years old in 2021. This milestone calls for renewed inquiries to review the current efforts of the European Union (EU) and its Member States towards the modernisation of Euro-pean industry. In 2018, the European Commission published the Digital Transformation Scoreboard 2018: EU businesses go digital: Opportunities, outcomes and uptake, which reports on the readiness for the digital revolution focused on building an economy in line with the concept of Industry 4.0 at three levels: European, national, and business. This study shows how much still remains to be done. At the same time, it identifies some of the key elements contributing to the success in this area, i.e., the digitisation of machines, Big Data, robotics and artifi cial intelligence, which represent the very essence of the idea of revolution 4.0. The aim of the paper is to determine the extent to which the new strategy for industry proposed by the European Commission in 2020 follows the concept of Industry 4.0. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. Statistical analysis was used to demonstrate the importance of industry in the economy of the European Union between 1998 and 2019 in terms of the share in the added value created and the significance for the labour market. The descriptive methods used include a review of the literature and research on the concept of Industry 4.0 and an analysis of the latest strategic documents of the European Commission (EC) in relation to industrial policy.

2019

Until today, three industrial revolutions have occurred over time; starting from that of the late 1700s (note for the use of the “machine steam”) to the advent of the first computers in factories (1960-1970), they have brought a radical change not only in the production in the industry, but also in the society. Technology has never stopped innovating. This increasing evolution has been and is still sustained by the man, who seeks progressively advanced tools that improve her/hisexistence.This chapter is devoted to the theme of Industry 4.0 and all aspects related to it; starting by the birth and the meaning of the term, the author illustrates all those technologies that have significantly determined the beginning of the fourth revolution, describing their characteristics,their potential and some methods of use in the industrial field and social sphere. Furthermore, important topics such as ethics, privacy and security will be considered, in a reality where all data are shared and sa...

Studies of the Industrial Geography Commission of the Polish Geographical Society

The purpose of the study is to identify changes taking place in the employment structure within NACE ‘Section C – Manufacturing’ which accompany the implementation of the Industry 4.0 concept. The spatial scope of the analysis covers seven EU member states, i.e. Czechia, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. The time range includes the years 2011–2018. All the new technologies that make up Industry 4.0 accelerate industrial transformation processes, additionally transforming the labour market, business management methods and the structure of the goods and services market. The main foundations of the Industry 4.0 concept include automation and robotics, which are increasingly implemented in new areas of life. The fastest-growing market is that for industrial robots which are used in enterprises more and more often and directly affect labour demand. Most industrial robots are used in the manufacturing of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, excluding motorcy...

SGH Publishing House, 2020

A new concept of the Industry 4.0 revolution is completely different from the previous ones. At this point, it is worth reminding that mechanisation, i.e., the invention and use of the steam engine, marks the beginning of the industrial age Industry 1.0. The next step included electrification which replaced less efficient steam engines with electric engines able to continuously manufacture products at relatively low energy cost (Industry 2.0). Compared to the previous revolution, waiting for Industry 3.0 based on narrowly interpreted digitalisation (digital input of data into machines) took much longer. Over this period, we could observe the development of increasingly more powerful computers that control manufacturing processes. Machines became more productive, precise, and flexible while digitalisation enabled reaching further advancement in automation. New planning and control systems started to emerge, intended to coordinate production activities. The main components of Industry 4.0 are integration and networking taken together, dependent of each other and supporting each other via the Internet. Taking into consideration the aforementioned issues, the Industry 4.0 revolution has triggered clearly more economical and socially responsible use of resources to meet consumer needs. The above-mentioned needs are identified at individual level and in real time, which surely accelerates the meeting of individualised consumer expectations and needs. As a result, by networking and the exchange of data between products and consumers in the fourth industrial revolution, companies can make their production processes more economical, taking account of the environmental, economic, and social aspects.

Brazilian Journal of Operations & Production Management

Goal: The purpose of this paper is to present a proposal of steps for the implementation of Industry 4.0 in the industrial context, considering management and operational aspects. The reason is to discuss that technological change is accompanied by many organizational implications, in which it is perceivable that some companies already experience strategic and operational turbulence due to the lack of understanding of the this structure’s complexity. Design / Methodology / Approach: This study assumes an exploratory character because the subject of analysis is still in the knowledge-structuring phase. In this sense, data was collected from the literature review. Results: A theoretical proposal for the Industry 4.0 implementation framework is presented in flow format. It is organized in steps that cover the strategic and operational aspects during the implementation flow. Limitations of the investigation: The limitations of this study are directly related to its theoretical nature an...

2017

Nowadays, the value creation process is based on management of a large amount of data, the Big Data, which are able to connect businesses and customers from all over the world (Xie et al., 2016). Considering the managerial and industrial points of view, Industry 4.0 is a new economic model for the industrial world (Peressotti, 2016), based on the evolution of production paradigm, technological change and process logic adoption: companies should change their business models, invest in staff training, adopting new managerial tools. As a result, the change of the market (from standardized to diversified) with the production of customized products. Machines and robots are able to communicate each other, to take decisions and to self-update. The production lines are automated: control and maintenance tasks can be performed remotely. As a consequence, the creation of the agile value chain: it allows you to monitor large amounts of data in real time, to track status and location of goods, to control the production process distantly. To study the level of adoption of 4.0 industrialization plans, two global indicators have been analyzed: they identify the placement of the largest industrial powers as brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk MICROECONOMICS 633 a result of their industrialization policies adoption. Since the literature review shows few academic contributions and the subject is studied from engineering, computer and industrial design points of view, the objective of the work is to provide a theoretical contribution to managerial and industrial studies: the adoption of innovation in economic policy represents an opportunity to improve the country identity and the competitiveness level. So it is essential to encourage companies to adopt innovative tools, making the production automated. The methodology used is the content analysis technique: literature analysis, reports, conference proceedings, publications and websites are consulted. The originality of the work is to investigate a topic developed recently in Italy.