scholarly journals INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONS AND SHIFTING OF GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 19-30
Author(s):  
FThilanka Baratha Dewanarayana ◽  
Wijitapure Wimalaratana

Industrial revolutions marked rapid structural transformation in the manufacturing sector making changes to production processors and products while reshaping the lifestyle across the world. Industrial revolutions redefined the product identity of every individual economy with the changes of specializations acquired through different manufacturing sectors. Similarly, new sets of countries emerged as industrial input providers as well as output buyers. At the same time, the world specialization in the manufacturing sector diversified along with the expansion of global value chains. As a result, the final product is assembled in one location while a multitude of components is produced globally by different countries. The intention of the article is to examine the shift of global competitiveness throughout the last two decades with the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolutionary implications especially among Developed Economies and Newly Industrial Economies. The international competitiveness of a country is mainly decided by the relative cost of production. The relative cost is again decided by the productivity, availability of quality resources including labor, cost of doing business, favourable macroeconomic factors, and institutional factors. The main objective of this study is to focus the attention on the reshaping of the global competitiveness map along the timeline as a result of technological spikes known as industrial revolutions paying special attention to the fourth industrial revolution. The secondary sources are tapped for the necessary information and mixed-method is applied to analyze the gathered data. The implications of the fourth industrial revolution show the reshaping of the global competitiveness landscape faster than the previous industrial revolutions. Countries with more commercialized innovations, intellectual property rights, and adopting key technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, the internet of things, cloud computing, 3D printing, and simulations in production are at the forefront of the competitiveness in the manufacturing sector.

Author(s):  
Denis A. Strokatov

In October 2018 an updated Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) 4.0 was introduced in the Global Competitiveness Report2018. Inthe article identify the main differences in the structure and methodology of calculating GCI in the editions of the Global Competitiveness Report 2017–2018 and the Global Competitiveness Report2018. Areview of a number of sources showed that researchers don’t pay enough attention to innovations in the structure and methodology of calculating GCI 4.0. As a result of analyzing the structure and methodology of calculating GCI 4.0, it was revealed that a number of adjustments were made in the Index aimed at marking the importance of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, equalization the conditions when calculating the Index for countries at different stages of development, and taking into account current tendencies of the world economy. In conclusion, the author emphasizes that these innovations have reduced the high degree of subjectivity of the GCI, eliminated a number of difficulties in independent determining the value of the Index and increased the transparency of the calculations.


Author(s):  
Elizabeth Ojo-Fafore ◽  
◽  
Clinton Aigbavboa ◽  
Wellington Thwala

The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is gradually gaining momentum in a wide range, and as it gathers pace, innovations are becoming faster, more efficient, and widely accessible than before. However, due to the outbreak of Covid 19, the world had seen a shift in the traditional ways in all aspects of human activities, especially in the socio-economic sector. This paper explores the effect of Covid19 on the development of the fourth industrial revolution in the Southern African region and will review the literature on pandemic and its effect on industrial revolutions. It will also review the literature on the fourth industrial revolution, the spread of the Covid 19 pandemic, and its effect on the development of the fourth industrial revolution in Southern Africa.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Xu ◽  
Jeanne M. David ◽  
Suk Hi Kim

The fourth industrial revolution, a term coined by Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, describes a world where individuals move between digital domains and offline reality with the use of connected technology to enable and manage their lives. (Miller 2015, 3) The first industrial revolution changed our lives and economy from an agrarian and handicraft economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. Oil and electricity facilitated mass production in the second industrial revolution. In the third industrial revolution, information technology was used to automate production. Although each industrial revolution is often considered a separate event, together they can be better understood as a series of events building upon innovations of the previous revolution and leading to more advanced forms of production. This article discusses the major features of the four industrial revolutions, the opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution, and the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution.


Author(s):  
Klaus Schwab

The rapid pace of technological developments played a key role in the previous industrial revolutions. However, the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) and its embedded technology diffusion progress is expected to grow exponentially in terms of technical change and socioeconomic impact. Therefore, coping with such transformation require a holistic approach that encompasses innovative and sustainable system solutions and not just technological ones. In this article, we propose a framework that can facilitate the interaction between technological and social innovation to continuously come up with proactive, and hence timely, sustainable strategies. These strategies can leverage economic rewards, enrich society at large, and protect the environment. The new forthcoming opportunities that will be generated through the next industrial wave are gigantic at all levels. However, the readiness for such revolutionary conversion require coupling the forces of technological innovation and social innovation under the sustainability umbrella.


2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (11) ◽  
pp. 533-541
Author(s):  
Dr. Premila Koppalakrishnan

The world stands on the precarious edge of an innovative transformation that will on a very basic level modify the manner in which we live, work, and identify with each other. In its scale, degree, and unpredictability, the change will be not normal for anything mankind has encountered previously. We don't yet know exactly how it will unfurl, however one thing is clear: the reaction to it should be incorporated and exhaustive, including all partners of the worldwide nation, from the general population and private segments to the scholarly community and common society. It is The Fourth Industrial Revolution, the digital revolution. The digital revolution has opened way for many impacts. All of the emirates are experiencing the effects of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” This revolution reflects the velocity, scope, and systems impact of a digital transformation that is changing economies, jobs, and work as it is currently known. Characteristics of the revolution include a fusion of technologies across the physical, digital, and biological spheres.


Author(s):  
E.B. LENCHUK ◽  

The article deals with the modern processes of changing the technological basis of the world economy on the basis of large-scale transition to the use of technologies of the fourth industrial revolution, shaping new markets and opens up prospects for sustainable economic growth. It is in the scientific and technological sphere that the competition between countries is shifting. Russia remains nearly invisible player in this field. The author tried to consider the main reasons for such a lag and identify a set of measures of state scientific and technological policy that can give the necessary impetus to the scientific and technological development of Russia.


Cubic Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 150-165
Author(s):  
James Stevens ◽  

Nearing the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century many craftspeople and makers are waking up to the inevitable reality that our next human evolution may not be the same, that this time it could be different. Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum refers to what we are beginning to experience as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Schwab 2017, 01). Schwab and his colleagues believe that this revolution could be much more powerful and will occur in a shorter period than the preceding industrial and digital revolutions. This revolution will cause a profound change in how we practice, labour and orient ourselves in the world. Rapidly evolving technologies will proliferate the use of robotics and personalised robots (co-bots) that can sense our presence and safely work alongside us. Digital algorithms are already becoming more reliable predictors of complex questions in medicine and economics than their human counterparts. Therefore, the gap between what a computer can learn and solve and what a robot can do will quickly close in the craft traditions. This article will engage in the discourse of posthumanism and cybernetics and how these debates relate to craft and making. Intentionally this work is not a proud manifesto of positions, strategies, and guidelines required for greatness. Alternatively, it is a humble attempt to reorient makers to the necessary discourse required to navigate the inevitable changes they will face in their disciplines. Thus, the article seeks to transfer posthumanist literary understanding to intellectually position craft in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.


After the analysis of evolutionary institutional changes, the fourth chapter will define revolutionary transformations. Revolutions, conceptualized as abrupt processes of social transformation, follow specific life-cycle and result from two main reasons: lack of efficiency and social justice. The chapter is structured as follows. In the first part, the author will provide a general overview of revolutions and revolutionary processes, discussing in detail its main classifications, characteristics and causes, leading actors, overall phases, and outcomes. The second part will outline different revolutionary processes, zooming on scientific revolutions, technology revolutions, and industrial revolutions. There, industrial revolutions and its main elements are investigated in detail, showing how technological innovations lead to dramatic changes of the social reality. By comparing characteristics of the first, second, and third industrial revolutions, there is proposed a model defining the elements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Finally, there is discussed a model outlining how of industrial revolutions can change and transform the social institutions.


Author(s):  
Mathew Maavak ◽  
Aini Suzana Ariffin

Malaysia intends to ride on the crest of the coming i.4.0 wave. According to the 2016 GE Global Innovation Barometer study, a significant number of Malaysian executives felt positive about embracing i4.0 vis-a-vis their global peers. On the surface, Malaysia appears ready for its own i4.0 revolution. According to the WEF's Networked Readiness Index on digital readiness, Malaysia was ranked 6th in terms of having the most tech-savvy government in the world. The automotive sector is ideally suited to kickstart the i4.0 revolution as it was traditionally regarded as the “industry of industries” – particularly due to its traditional role in spearheading wider, cross-sectoral industrialisation. However, Malaysia is not yet ready to embrace the 4th Industrial Revolution. This chapter discusses the obstacles, challenges, and opportunities facing i4.0 uptake in the Malaysian automotive industry. It ends by recommending a unique pathway for i4.0 adoption in the sector.


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