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In September 2015, the UN Sustainable Development Summit adopted the 2030 agenda which is the key document guiding international efforts for sustainable development until 2030. The agenda spells out 17 goals – the so-called Sustainable Development Goals and 169 more specific targets in key development areas such as poverty, water, energy, education, gender equality, economy, biodiversity, climate action, and many more.
In the past few years, digital technologies have spread more and more into manufacturing and production processes. Rapid developments in the fields of Internet of Things, Big Data, robotics, block chain technology, sensors, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and rapid prototyping technologies have noticeably transcended into the manufacturing industry. This unprecedented occurrence, often referred to as “the fourth industrial revolution” or “Industry4.0”, has gained considerable momentum. Industry 4.0 could fundamentally transform the way goods are developed, produced and consumed, and galvanize the development of new business models, services, and behaviours.
While Industry 4.0 promises many opportunities for economic development, its further reaching impacts are largely uncertain. Industry 4.0 emerges against the backdrop of pressing global challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, lack of energy access, water scarcity, environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity and megatrends like population growth, urbanization and mass migration, as well as the new and ongoing conflicts and crises worldwide. This raises a valid question: if – and how – Industry 4.0 could contribute to finding new ways of dealing with some of these major social, economic, and environmental challenges.