Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. It includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet of things and cloud computing.

Industry 4.0 creates what has been called a "smart factory". Within the modular structured smart factories, cyber-physical systems monitor physical processes, create a virtual copy of the physical world and make decentralized decisions. Over the Internet of Things, cyber-physical systems communicate and cooperate with each other and with humans in real time, and via the Internet of Services, both internal and cross-organizational services are offered and used by participants of the value chain.

The term "Industrie 4.0" originates from a project in the high-tech strategy of the German government, which promotes the computerization of manufacturing.

Some have compared Industrie 4.0 with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. However, the latter refers to a systemic transformation that includes impact on civil society, governance structures, and human identity in addition to solely economic/manufacturing ramifications. The first industrial revolution mobilised the mechanization of production using water and steam power; the second industrial revolution then introduced mass production with the help of electric power, followed by the digital revolution and the use of electronics and IT to further automate production. The term "fourth industrial revolution" has been applied to significant technological developments several times over the last 75 years, and is up for academic debate. Industrie 4.0, on the other hand, focuses on manufacturing specifically in the current context, and thus is separate from the fourth industrial revolution in terms of scope.

The term "Industrie 4.0" was revived in 2011 at the Hannover Fair. In October 2012 the Working Group on Industry 4.0 presented a set of Industry 4.0 implementation recommendations to the German federal government. The Industry 4.0 workgroup members are recognized as the founding fathers and driving force behind Industry 4.0.

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