Preconditions of Formation and Development of Industry 4.0 in the Conditions of Knowledge Economy

The purpose of the chapter is to determine and analyze preconditions for formation and development of Industry 4.0 in the conditions of knowledge economy by the example of modern Russia. For evaluating the level and character of influence of the process of formation of knowledge economy on the possibilities of formation and development of Industry 4.0, the author uses the method of correlation analysis. The objects of analysis include the index of knowledge economy according to the World Bank and the indices that indirectly characterize the possibilities and perspectives of establishment and development of Industry 4.0—index of innovational development of economy according to the INSEAD and WIPO and the index of development of information and communication technologies according to the International Telecommunication Union. The values of these indices are studied in dynamics of several years—2013–2017. The additional methods of research that are used for evaluation of the growth rate of the values of these indices are horizontal and trend analysis. As a result, the authors proved that in the conditions of knowledge economy the preconditions of formation and development of Industry 4.0 appear. Therefore, in the interests of formation of Industry 4.0 and stimulation of business activity in this sphere it is necessary to develop knowledge economy, which is a platform for new industrial revolution. This shows that knowledge economy and Industry 4.0 develop not in the parallel way but are a single system—i.e., they are mutually supportive processes. Based on the results of the performed complex analysis, the second potential scenario is determined, at which during the initial stage of establishment of knowledge economy it is a platform for starting business activity in Industry 4.0, but then Industry 4.0 comes to the foreground, which is en inseparable component and basic criterion for defining the economic system as knowledge economy.