Excerpt from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industry_4.0):

"The term "Industry 4.0" ... originates from a project in the high-tech strategy of the German government, which promotes the computerization of manufacturing. The term ... 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 and partners are recognized as the founding fathers and driving force behind Industry 4.0."

Translation:,

Industry 4.0 is a German plot to finally establish the world-wide Third Reich.

It calls for more technocratic globalization, pyramidal exacerbation of social contrasts, further impoverishment of the middle class, reduction of R&D adepts to slavery through selective funding procedures, and progressive suppression of all disruptive genuinely new ideas.

There is no role for Science in Industry 4.0. Science as we once knew it must die.

Full stop.

The wave of 4IR poses many deep questions. However, first we must appreciate that 4IR comprises technological and sociological forces in a dynamical system. Cf. Preprint Transport and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

How new technologies effect our self - perceptions, options, behavior etc.

That's the project I (@Oshri bar-gil) have been working on.

One basic question is about the possible employment impact of new technologies.

You can be interested to the attached recent paper of mine.

Best regards,

Marco

Nice study, Marco Vivarelli. Now, given that "the labor-friendly impact of innovation is concentrated in the most advanced economic sectors", the next question to face is how does the actual size of those sectors evolve with time (in terms of "labor", not revenue). Also, for comparison, it would be nice to make a similar study, for a similar period, but maybe 120 years ago.

Work of the future, business models, value chain, technology disruption (new digital solutions). Some of the main research topics that I found in researchers' studies.

In present days, the momentum towards 4.0 researches are plenty. Nevertheless, the implementation rate of 4.0 technologies as a whole is comparatively less in any industries.

In my view,

“Cyber physical production systems (CPSS)” is the key that enables complete 4.0. Wherein, the human will work along with machines (Cognitive thinking enabled) in “Smart factories” two ways of communication “human-machine” and “machine-machine”. That said, until today machines did not superseded human intelligence (But, hope u all can recall Facebook robots communicated in their own language and shutdown).

Technologies that makes 4.0 are plethora, the key technologies I found are;

Typical base technologies and concepts of Industry 4.0 are the Internet of Things (IoT)/Internet of Services (IoS),Cloud Computing, Big Data, Smart Factory, 3D-Printing and the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) or Embedded systems, Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR)/Mixed Reality (MR) and the Human-ComputerInteraction (HCI)

All the above technologies has to be studied in depth in respective field’s need. Meantime to enable smart production these technologies has to be connected together. Where, we can come across lot interoperable issues associated with both software and hardware capabilities.

Thus, I would suggest some researches to be focused on,

Combining the technologies to make a “CPSS” a reality (May be proto types or models)

Said all, the technologies are made to make human needs easy. However, a report predicted that 4.0 revolution will increase the rate of unemployment in another 10 years, due to the A.I and automations. Therefore, there is a need to develop new business models for “process” based jobs or works or creation of new jobs are necessary (There are a few muliti national companies are disappeared during last decade, when the demand for product went less)

In my oppinion, how to generate new business models which integrate people and technologies as good as possible and which are these limits in traditional and more dynamic industries.