The so-called fourth industrial revolution, which has been dubbed “Industry 4.0”, is predicted to effect almost spectacular changes in industrial production caused by the comprehensive digitalisation and computerisation of manufacturing. On the one hand, the debate on whether this will actually happen exhibits all the characteristics of a hype. On the other hand, the idea of “Industry 4.0” suggests plausible developments whose long-term impact on qualifications and work cannot yet be foreseen. In this book, renowned experts from the social sciences and engineering attempt to provide a first well-founded assessment of the possible consequences of “Industry 4.0” on industrial labour. Their contributions address questions related to the areas of application of digital technologies, alternative ways of structuring work and what this will all mean for society. Each of the authors adopts a mutual point of departure: to offer a holistic view of new technologies, which focuses on the social and technological aspects of the entire system of production in the context of social conditions.
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With contributions by:
Marlies Achenbach, Daniela Ahrens, Wilhelm Bauer, Peter Brödner, Felix Busch, Jochen Deuse, Klaus Dörre, Bernd Dworschak, Rolf Franken, Swetlana Franken, Walter Ganz, Gudela Grote, Gerhard Gudergan, Thomas Haipeter, Hartmut Hirsch-Kreinsen, Kai Hofmann, Gerrit Hornung, Jürgen Howaldt, Peter Ittermann, Ralf Kopp, Jonathan Niehaus, Ulf Ortmann, Sabine Pfeiffer, Sebastian Schlund, Kathrin Schnalzer, Jürgen Schultze, Roman Senderek, Georg Spöttl, Volker Stich, Anne Suphan, Kirsten Weisner, Lars Windelband