Why industrie 4.0 needs workplace innovation

A critical essay about the German debate on advanced manufacturing; DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56333-6_4

Behind labels like “smart manufacturing” and “advanced manufacturing”, hides the attempt to accelerate the digitalisation of production. In Germany, the future of manufacturing is intimately bound up with the vision of “Industry 4.0” (Industrie 4.0). Wide scale implementation of this technology-centred vision appeared to be necessary and crucial for competitiveness. Uncertainties and risks (e.g. high investment costs, data security, impact on workplaces) are underestimated and negative experiences with such technology-centred approaches in the past (e.g. with concepts such as the completely computer integrated and automated factory) sometimes seem to be forgotten. Our essay aims to show, that there are alternatives to a policy concept based on a one-sided, technology-oriented understanding of innovation. It therefore makes an important difference whether “Industrie 4.0” or “Work 4.0” (Arbeiten 4.0) and workplace innovation stand at the centre of the process of digitalization.

Bibliographische Angaben:
Howaldt, Jürgen; Kopp, Ralf; Schultze, Jürgen:
Why industrie 4.0 needs workplace innovation
A critical essay about the German debate on advanced manufacturing; DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56333-6_4;
In: Oeij, Peter R.A.; Rus, Diana; Pot, Frank D. (Hrsg.): Workplace Innovation; S. 45-60;
Cham: Springer, 2017
ISBN: 978-3-319-56332-9; 978-3-319-56333-6

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