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Industry 4.0: What makes it a revolution? A historical framework to understand the phenomenon

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  • Klingenberg, Cristina Orsolin
  • Borges, Marco Antônio Viana
  • Antunes, José Antônio do Vale

Abstract

This paper takes a historical approach to analyse the Fourth Industrial Revolution, denominated Industry 4.0. Although its technologies are more evolutive than disruptive, their combination and gradual improvement promise significant impacts on the economy and society, thus characterising a veritable revolution. However, the pace of diffusion depends on profit expectation, competition intensity, the regulatory system, financial availability, demand, the labour market, and attitudes towards the new technologies. To enhance understanding of the phenomenon, we describe a framework with three contextual elements of the history of each revolution: technological complementarities, economic institutions, and social structure.

Suggested Citation

  • Klingenberg, Cristina Orsolin & Borges, Marco Antônio Viana & Antunes, José Antônio do Vale, 2022. "Industry 4.0: What makes it a revolution? A historical framework to understand the phenomenon," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:70:y:2022:i:c:s0160791x22001506
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.102009
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    1. Didier, Nicolas, 2024. "Turning fragments into a lens: Technological change, industrial revolutions, and labor," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
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    3. Safavi Jahromi, Gelayol & Ghazinoory, Sepehr, 2024. "From Superman to Garfield: Four scenarios regarding the effects of industry 4.0 on animation companies," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
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    5. Callari, Tiziana C. & Curzi, Ylenia & Lohse, Niels, 2025. "Realising human-robot collaboration in manufacturing? A journey towards industry 5.0 amid organisational paradoxical tensions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    6. Chung, Jae-Eun & Oh, Se-Gu & Moon, Hee-Cheol, 2022. "What drives SMEs to adopt smart technologies in Korea? Focusing on technological factors," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    7. Callari, Tiziana C. & Vecellio Segate, Riccardo & Hubbard, Ella-Mae & Daly, Angela & Lohse, Niels, 2024. "An ethical framework for human-robot collaboration for the future people-centric manufacturing: A collaborative endeavour with European subject-matter experts in ethics," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    8. Basile, Vincenzo & Tregua, Marco & Giacalone, Massimiliano, 2024. "A three-level view of readiness models: Statistical and managerial insights on industry 4.0," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    9. Zhang, Qian & Webster, Natasha A. & Han, Shengnan & Ayele, Workneh Yilma, 2023. "Contextualizing the rural in digital studies: A computational literature review of rural-digital relations," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

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