The fourth industrial (r)evolution

Dramatic changes to our world of work are associated with every phase of industrialisation, from Industry 1.0 to Industry 4.0 (which we are currently going through). At the start of the 1st industrial revolution in the 18th Century, hydraulic and steam power were at the forefront. The further development in the 2nd industrial revolution was conveyor belt production at the start of the 20th Century. Then came the 3rd industrial revolution at the beginning of the 1970s. Automation in production was driven forward by the use of electronics and IT. In the 4th industrial revolution we are concerned with the intelligent, digital networking of systems. The basic technologies for this already exist (see figure 1). This aspect is leading to a discussion amongst experts: are we really experiencing a revolution or an evolution?

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