Fundamental Differences of Transition to Industry 4.0 from Previous Industrial Revolutions

The purpose of this chapter is to determine fundamental differences of transition to Industry 4.0 from previous industrial revolutions. The methodology includes structural & functional analysis, comparative analysis, induction, deduction, formalization, etc. These methods are used for determining similarities with previous industrial revolutions and peculiarities of the future Fourth Industrial Revolution. The authors prove that transition to Industry 4.0 is a new industrial revolution, which is shown by the attributes that are a sign of all industrial revolutions: change of the type of technological mode as a result of mass implementation of accumulated industrial innovations and systemic transformations in industry, which results in deep changes in logistics and manufactured products. At the same time, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is unprecedented and possesses a whole range of peculiarities, as compared to previous industrial revolutions. It envisages full elimination of human from the production system, ensuring absolute automatization of the production process, simultaneous combination of formation of global industrial networks with elimination of negative social consequences, changes the essence of industrial patents, and creates a possibility for quick change of direction of industrial production’s specialization.