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... The 3IR changed the way people work, produce and entertain (Smith, 2001). In other words, through digital manufacturing, the 3IR created an economy of production and production growth, reduction and flexibility of inputs through easy-to-use robots, 3D printing and job creation within developed countries (Markillie, 2012, Rivkin, 2011. According to Rivkin (2011), the 3IR was built on five major pillars: transformation of the building stock into green micro-power plants to collect renewable energies onsite; the shift to renewable energy; and the use of Internet technology to transform the power grid of every continent into an energy internet that acts just like the Internet; deployment of hydrogen and other storage technologies in every building and throughout the infrastructure to store intermittent energies and transition of the transport fleet to electric plug-in and fuel cell vehicles. ...
... In other words, through digital manufacturing, the 3IR created an economy of production and production growth, reduction and flexibility of inputs through easy-to-use robots, 3D printing and job creation within developed countries (Markillie, 2012, Rivkin, 2011. According to Rivkin (2011), the 3IR was built on five major pillars: transformation of the building stock into green micro-power plants to collect renewable energies onsite; the shift to renewable energy; and the use of Internet technology to transform the power grid of every continent into an energy internet that acts just like the Internet; deployment of hydrogen and other storage technologies in every building and throughout the infrastructure to store intermittent energies and transition of the transport fleet to electric plug-in and fuel cell vehicles. The third industrial revolution was driven by technologies of the digital engine of the Internet, renewable energy and 3D printing. ...
The 4IR and other technological improvements are significant in global socioeconomic life. However, this improvement is not only with opportunities as it is associated with some disadvantages. The general belief postulates that the Industrial Revolution would impede individuals' job opportunities. This study assesses the impact of the industrial revolution, innovation and other economic variables on job opportunities. This objective was achieved by applying the Johansen test for Cointegration and other econometric approaches on time series data from 1990 to 2023. Findings revealed the presence of a long-run relationship among variables. The ICT, innovation, investment and education levels were found to have a significant and positive impact on manufacturing employment while labour force growth has an inverse relationship with employment. The study demonstrates the importance of a combination of innovation and technology in creating jobs and enhancing individuals' life. Therefore, considering the study findings, it is recommended that, to improve employment opportunities in the manufacturing sector, the government and the Department of High Education should revise the studies curriculum to produce skilled and desired employers. Additionally, to benefit from the 4IR, the South African government is required to improve technological infrastructure to increase the number of citizens using use ICT.
... It was characterized by the rise of electronics, computers, and information technology, which transformed manufacturing and introduced automation and digitalization to many industries. Spanning into the early 21st century, this revolution enabled globalization, reshaped communication and labor markets, and accelerated the shift toward a knowledge-based economy [13][14][15][16]. The Third Industrial Revolution has significant economic, social and logistical impacts as follows. ...
This paper explores the economic, social, and logistical impacts of the four industrial revolutions, highlighting how each phase of industrialization transformed societies and economies. The analysis covers shifts in production methods, labor dynamics, and market structures that reshaped economic frameworks and influenced wealth distribution, job creation, and industry specialization. Social consequences, including urbanization, migration, and the development of new social classes, are examined to understand the broader implications on family dynamics, labor rights, and quality of life. The study also addresses the critical role of logistical advancements – from steam transportation to digital supply chains – in expanding markets and driving globalization.
... To be mentioned here are the open source movement, the procedures for developing the digital encyclopedia Wikipedia or organizations, such as the Chaos Computer Club, which pursue exclusive network policy objectives. If Jeremy Rifkin should be right, the digital information society will in a later stage even develop into network-based production forms in which civil society and business cooperate as equal partners [23]. ...
In order to structure the debate on the democratic potentials of digital information technology Hubertus Buchstein in 1996 created three ideal types, net optimism, net pessimism and net neutrality. In this study the viability of these positions is put under scrutiny from a current viewpoint.
... Інноваційними технологіями сучасної трансформації є відновлювальна енергетика (Дж. Рифкін) [13] та штучний інтелект (М. Тегмарк) [16]. ...
Сучасна глобальна економічна, кліматична й військово-політична криза, що край загострилася після 24.02.2022, засвідчує, що у світі завершується доба Постмодерну й постправди і прискорюється кардинальна трансформація суспільства. Постмодерністська філософія не спроможна відповідати на виклики сьогодення, позаяк вона всю повноту пізнавального й практичного досвіду зводить до досвіду лінгвістичного, а життєву практику – до саморефлексивних актів самореференції, деконструкції, реінтерпретації, тобто різних процедур мовної гри. Такий підхід не дає людині можливості активно покращувати ситуацію у суспільстві в умовах глобальної кризи. На противагу цьому класичний прагматизм, реалізуючи основні запити філософії постмодернізму стосовно: уникнення постулювання трансцендентальних цінностей; відмови, на відміну від метафізики, від привілейованої пізнавальної та ціннісної позиції; непокладання на гранднаративи, котрі є підставою неоколоніалізму; а також віднаходження способів діяти у ситуаціях відсутності абсолютної істини (Л. Хікмен). Проте, прагматизм, крім реалізації запитів філософії постмодернізму, спирається на всю повноту когнітивного й практичного досвіду людини, не спрощуючи структуру останнього. Прагматизм висуває гіпотези відносно картини світу та моделей, алгоритмів і способів власної діяльності людини, експериментально перевіряє їх ефективність у досвіді пізнавальної й практичної діяльності за допомогою зворотних зв’язків, що дає змогу запропонувати нові, більш релевантні гіпотези щодо реальності як такої та моделей, алгоритмів і способів цієї діяльності. Реалізуючи запити філософії постмодернізму, прагматизм водночас долає звуження структури досвіду людини лише до лінгвістичного і у цьому сенсі є пост-постмодернізмом. Прагматизм розглядає мораль як чинник, який щільно вплетений у діяльнісний досвід людини і має як суб’єктивний, так і об’єктивний виміри, що втілюється у об’єктивний результат і сприяє реалізації важливих для людини цінностей – безпеки, добробуту, здоров’я, задоволеності життям. Моральні настанови та цінності, притаманні індивідам, агрегуються як гіпотези у процесі вироблення спільного рішення у їхній дискусії та взаємодії, оцінюються у результаті сумісної діяльності як своєрідного експерименту зі зворотнім зв’язком і стають звичкою (формою, алгоритмом і способом діяльності). Звички є не лише інструментом діяльності, а й інструментом оцінювання ре-зультатів діяльності і є передумовою як виробництва засобів існування людини, так і створення більш досконалих інноваційних суспільних відносин. Прагматизм спирається на життєвий досвід людини та експериментальну науку і є продуктивною гуманістичною концепцією, що сприяє свободі й добробуту людини. Коли суспільство перебуває у ситуації цивілізаційної трансформації, що супроводжується екологічними катастрофами та війнами, прагматистський підхід є досить ефективним. У даній ситуації суспільство має зосередити максимум можливих ресурсів на виживанні, а також творчому розвитку тих індивідуальних та інституціональних можливостей, що сприяють його життєздатності, зберігають ідентичність та забезпечують свободу людини.
... The energy internet concept introduced in (Rifkin, 2008), entails a peer-sharing network facilitated by power electronic devices and information technology, built upon the existing power grid infrastructure. The energy internet is a revolutionary concept that integrates various energy systems such as power grids and transportation, through advanced technologies like intelligent management (Wang et al., 2022)- (Joseph and Balachandra, 2020). ...
A R T I C L E I N F O
Keywords: Decoupling system Energy internet Grid-feeding converter Grid-forming converter Multi-frequency power transfer system
A B S T R A C T
The energy internet concept involves the transmission of energy in discrete packets, akin to the information internet's principle. The energy internet must adopt a decentralized configuration and enable bidirectional and simultaneous power transfer. This raises the problem of congestions during the energy packet dispatching process. To address potential congestion issues, we propose a three-phase multi-frequency power transfer system (MFPTS) where the positive-sequence fundamental frequency component is supplemented with the zero-sequence third and the negative-sequence fifth harmonic components. By using such signals with proper amplitudes , the harmonics are added to the voltage without changing the peak amplitude but increasing the rms value. To exert complete control over the different frequencies employed within the MFPTS, a decoupling method is necessary to separate these frequencies in the control system. This leads to creating three independent channels of power transfer by three frequencies without changing the existing infrastructure as these powers can be transferred within the same lines. This paper explores the feasibility of three-phase three-frequency power transfer by using three parallel power transfer channels, achieved through the utilization of three-phase grid-forming and grid-feeding converters. Using power converters provides the advantage of bidirectional power transfer and facilitates decentralization by serving as an interface between distributed power generation systems and the utility grid. These properties are essential for achieving optimal energy internet performance. The simulation and practical results prove that the proposed MFPTS could solve the energy packet dispatching congestion problem to have a reliable energy internet for the future.
... The use of physical manipulative has flared up in the 3D printing age [43,56]. Dubbed as the forth industrial evolution [52], it was recently over shadowed by the AI revolution [64]. Manipulatives will reappear in virtual reality set-ups, once interfaces become fully VARK: visual, auditory, read related or kinesthetic [15]. ...
We visualize the identity p(n) = sum s(k) p(n-k)/n for the integer partition function p(n) involving the divisor function s, add comments on the history of visualizations of numbers, illustrate how different mathematical fields play together when proving lim p(n)^(1/n)=1 and introduce finite or infinite rings of partitions.
... The Third Industrial Revolution by Jeremy Rifkind (2013) which adopts a premise that fundamental economic change occurs when new communication technologies converge with new energy regimes also offers some invaluable perspectives of what we should do differently regarding future infrastructure development. In this publication he looks at the scale-up of the 'internet of things', the 'rising sharing economy' and a 'zero marginal cost society'. ...
... This revolution was characterized by the discovery and massive utilization of energy sources never seen before (like oil or gas), the emergence of new and improved techniques of production due to progress in electricity and mechanics (especially related to the internal combustion engine and mechanical refrigeration), the emergence of new industries like the chemical, metallurgical, or automotive industries, electrification, the invention of the telephone, the amplification of the telegraph, and the mass production of consumer goods. In the twenty-first century, in addition to controlling the second industrial revolution, the semiperipheral economies have begun the path toward the third industrial revolution (Rifkin, 2011), which is led by the core economies. Now, concerning the global chains of production, the semiperipheral economies have access to and participate in them, benefiting from their usufructs, but they lack control over the most profitable gains. ...
In this chapter, the national power of semiperipheral states is analyzed, along with their characteristics and distribution, culminating in the identification of two distinct categories: regional powers and secondary semiperipheral states. Regional powers are extremely relevant actors in the international geostructure. Their prominent position is based on notable material capabilities, allowing them to actively engage in regional governance projects and pursue proactive global foreign policies. Secondary semiperipheral states exhibit more moderate material and immaterial capacities; however, they maintain a significant position in the semiperiphery due to their outstanding semimaterial capabilities. This configuration not only grants them relative regional autonomy but also enables active participation in the international system. We acknowledge that the classifications proposed here may undergo rapid and unexpected changes due to the inherently semiperipheral nature of these states, leading to extraordinary transformations in relatively short periods.
... Within public policy, it is widely believed we have entered a new phase, stage, or period of economic development, qualitatively different from what has gone before. This has been variously described as a second machine age (Brynjolfsson and McAfee 2014), third industrial revolution (Rifkin 2011), digital economy (Unger 2019), or a fourth industrial revolution (Schwab 2016). Here David Landes (1969, 1) warns against the tendency for the term industrial revolution to be used to characterise any period of significant technological change so that 'we shall eventually have as many 'revolutions' as there are historically demarcated sequences of industrial innovation, plus all such sequences as will occur in the future' . ...
It is widely believed digital technologies are transforming all aspects of economy and society, driven by scientific advances across interdisciplinary fields and innovations relating to artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotics, etc. But what, if anything, is revolutionary about these developments and what are the implications for the neo-liberal opportunity bargain based on a market competition where ‘learning equals earning’. This article outlines different interpretations of the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ presenting contrasting theories of labour scarcity and job scarcity, to highlight why we need to rethink education, opportunity and the future of work in a context of increasing job scarcity. This is urgent not because we are approaching the end of work, but the end of ‘knowledge’ work as understood in public policy, with no viable solution to how to create in a new opportunity bargain for a fair and efficient future of work.
... The term IoE was coined for the first time in 2011 [15]. This gives an idea of the youth of the specialisation of the IoT paradigm in this type of applications, where it can be included topics such as smart grids and the quality of the electricity network measurement systems. ...
The growing development of communication technologies has given rise to the Internet of Things, which has led to the emergence of new cities, smart grids, and smart buildings, and the development of energy generation using renewable sources, as well as the emergence of new electrical loads such as the electric car. These advances give rise to the need for new media devices with remote communication, and require a greater control and monitoring of the state of the electrical grid in order to verify its correct state, as well as the detection of faults or alterations that are occurring in it due to these new generation systems or new loads. These remote, unsupervised measurement devices require galvanic isolation to protect the measurement and communication system, so that even if there is a break in the isolation, the integrity of the measurement and communication system is maintained. In addition, as it is a device prepared for multipoint measurement, the cost of the probe must be contained. This article details the design, implementation, and validation of a low-cost remote isolated differential voltage probe. This probe is intended for monitoring at network supply points, as well as for the verification of the European standard EN 50160 as a means of detecting disturbances in network behaviour. Its characteristics as a differential and isolated probe provide it with the possibility of floating voltage averaging, guaranteeing the integrity of the electronics of the low-voltage probe, i.e., the digitalisation and communication system. The measurements collected are sent via an MQTT protocol, which makes the remote probe a device compatible with the Internet of Energy. For the validation of the probe, a full functional test is performed, including FFT spectral analysis to verify the compliance of the mains voltage with the aforementioned European standard EN 50160.
... In conclusion, it is anticipated that we are on the cusp of witnessing organizations teeming individuals unencumbered by routine and repetitive tasks, thanks to the intervention of AI [4,76]. Contrary to the ominous predictions and dire warnings of the naysayers, these entities are set to be abuzz with individuals whose capacities for innovation, creativity, and complex problem-solving are unprecedentedly unleashed [32,49]. Against all alertist warnings and apocalyptic expectations, AI, rather than being a repressive or suppressive force, is posited to play a liberational role, ushering in an era where the accomplishment of human potential is not just a lofty ideal, but an attainable reality [35,46]. ...
In the evolving landscape of organizational dynamics, AI emerges not as a usurper of human roles, but as a liberator,unshackling the human workforce from the confines of monotonous and mechanized tasks. This paper delves into a nuanced exploration of the harmonious coexistence of AI and human ingenuity, positing that AI’s takeover of routine tasks paves the way for enhanced human contribution in organizations. We meticulously examine three cardinal domains of unassailable human predominance: the richness of human experience, intricate tapestry of intersubjective relations, and profound depths of symbolism and identity. Each domain was dissected, illustrating the irreplaceable nature of human touch and the ensuing enrichment of organizational culture and performance. In conclusion, we propose a counternarrative to the dystopian discourse of AI as a displacer of the human workforce. We assert thatAI, in its mechanized precision, liberates human creativity and innovation, fostering an environment in which human potential is not subjugated but is unleashed, accentuated, and celebrated. We argue that this infusion of human essence will redefine organizational success and innovation, making them not just technologically advanced but alsorichly humanized, creative, and value-centric.
Progress of civilization is characterized by a horizontal and vertical expansion of techno-sphere, which currently has digital technologies and AI at the core. Although the evolution of machines and its impact on human behaviour, and socio-economic, political, and cultural activities have been a subject of debate for the last two centuries (Corpo 2017; Ash et al. 2016), the rise of digital technologies, especially since the early 1990s with commercialization of internet and availability of cheap computing machines, have had massive disruptive and transformative impacts on human to human, human and environment, human and machine and body and mind relationships.
Après la machine à vapeur, le Taylorisme et le Toyotisme, les robots, les ordinateurs… l’ère est aujourd’hui celle de la digitalisation de l’industrie (ou industrie 4.0, voire d’une quatrième révolution industrielle), de l’intelligence artificielle, de l’internet des objets… La question à laquelle nous allons tenter de répondre dans le cadre de cet article est double, en revenant d’une part sur la genèse du concept de révolution industrielle, d’autre part en appliquant ce cadre théorique pour analyser la quatrième révolution industrielle, qui serait en train de se développer. Nous montrerons ainsi le caractère idéologique du concept de révolution industrielle, pour l’appliquer au cas de la quatrième révolution industrielle, pour discuter si les transformations techniques actuelles s’inscrivent dans la continuité du modèle industriel précédent, ou s’il s’agit d’une véritable rupture technique et comment les États et les industriels, par le biais de mesures de politique publique, agissent pour soutenir cette évolution, pour le bénéfice des industriels.
Engineering is directly related to civilization, and in the face of the “emergency” posed by modernity, there is an imperative need to change the practical approaches of modern engineering that underlines modernity. Engineering thinking and paradigms in different eras often manifest in distinct modes of engineering, contributing to various types of civilizations. To date, in a morphological sense, humanity has experienced the “engineering in-itself paradigm” of the premodern agricultural civilization, which adapts to nature, and the “engineering for-itself paradigm” of the modern industrial civilization, which dominates nature. It is now moving toward the Engineering Ecology Paradigm, the “engineering in- and for-itself paradigm” of a postindustrial civilization, which seeks harmony between humans and nature. To this end, it is not only necessary to establish the thinking of engineering ecology but also to consciously promote the transition of engineering paradigms, embracing holistic, synergistic, and ethical perspectives for sustainable and harmonious development.
In this study, Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, published in 1988, is examined in terms of the characteristics of the industrial period, and the interaction between industry, society, individuals, and knowledge is analyzed. In The Alchemist, the increasing importance of knowledge and books is emphasized, and the value of knowledge and written sources is symbolized by the main character, Santiago, standing in front of a collapsed church. This symbolizes the transition from medieval thought to scientific and rational approaches in the industrial period. While the ruined church reflects the negative aspects of the past, the large fig tree in front of it represents life and rebirth. The main character embarks on a journey by selling his sheep to fulfill his dreams, acquiring new knowledge and skills in the process. Shepherding is portrayed as an educational profession and is associated with religious elements. Santiago’s desire to deepen his knowledge and improve himself, his solitude, and his expression of the joy of life through books reflect the industrial society's emphasis on individuality. A shepherd who reads books and has access to information and innovations demonstrates the transformation of professional roles in society and the democratization of access to knowledge. Furthermore, the positive aspects of openness to change and innovation, the importance of knowledge and practical experience, are highlighted in the novel, and the processes of wisdom and individual development are analyzed.
Integrated energy systems (IESs) have been implemented with the objective of enhancing the efficiency of energy utilization and facilitating the sustainable transition of society and energy systems. To further explore the multi-energy coupling capacity and carbon reduction potential of the IESs, this study presents the design of an integrated cold-electricity-heat energy system (ICEHS) with advanced adiabatic compressed air energy storage (AA-CAES). AA-CAES has the capacity to not only store and release electric energy, but also to provide cold and heat energy, which makes it an ideal choice for this application. The main work of this study is fourfold: (1) the energy hub concept is employed to describe the energy transformations within AA-CAES, thereby reducing the modeling complexity; (2) integrated demand response (IDR) for cooling, heating, and electric loads, including shiftable loads, adjustable loads, interruptible loads, and replaceable loads, is considered; (3) Latin hypercubic sampling in conjunction with K-means clustering is employed to address the issue of source-load uncertainty; and (4) an ICEHS operation optimization model is developed with the objective of minimizing the daily operating cost, where the possible cost terms include energy purchase cost, operation and maintenance cost, demand response cost, and carbon emission cost. A typical community integrated energy system is employed as an illustrative example, and four different scenarios are established to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model. The results indicate that AA-CAES and IDR can effectively reduce the daily operating cost and carbon emissions of an ICEHS. In comparison to the scenario that did not incorporate AA-CAES and IDR, the daily operating cost and carbon emissions are reduced by 4.8% and 10.3%, respectively.
That one natural resource that is intricately linked to human survival and connected with every form of social development is undoubtedly fresh water.
This study elucidates the findings derived from the implementation of the integrated AHP-PROMETHEE multi-criteria decision-making method aimed at selecting the most suitable electric vehicle for urban transport. The AHP methodology facilitated the identification of critical criteria influencing the selection of an electric vehicle for urban use, including factors such as price, battery warranty, charging speed, acceleration to 100 km/h, maximum speed, engine power, efficiency, battery performance, and mileage. The subsequent application of the PROMETHEE method allowed for the ranking of nine electric vehicles based on these established criteria. Each vehicle alternative was assessed regarding its capacity to fulfill the specified requirements and preferences of the decision-makers. The analysis revealed that the Mini Cooper E emerged as the model that most effectively aligns with the prioritized criteria. This vehicle is deemed the optimal selection for urban transport needs, considering all pertinent factors. The decision to select a specific electric vehicle is expected to influence the efficiency, sustainability, and economic viability of the urban transportation system. Furthermore, it is advisable to maintain ongoing surveillance of advancements in electric vehicle technology and charging infrastructure to ensure that the selected model continues to represent the best option in the future.
This chapter aims to guide readers in understanding social networks and their computing methods through the five key questions of “4W1H.” These questions correspond to the context of social networks, the subjects of social networks, the definition of social networks, the types of social networks, and the calculation of social networks. This chapter begins by introducing the concept and basic forms of social networks, such as inter-individual networks, organizational social networks, and diffusion networks (both online and offline). It then explores how social networks are represented in computers, the methods of calculating them, and their practical implementation. Through these discussions, this chapter provides a theoretical framework for understanding complex social phenomena in the Internet age and lays the foundation for the application of social network computing in this chapters that follow.
Статтю призначено аналізу циклічності розвитку будівництва, викликаної докорінними якісними змінами базисних поколінь техніки, машин, технологій у провідних секторах економіки, тобто промисловими революціями. Відповідно до періодизації промислових революції виділено чотири цикли трансформації будівельної діяльності з відповідними їм моделями будівельного сектору: Будівництво 1.0 з домонополістично-індустріальною моделлю, Будівництво 2.0 з індустріально-екстенсивною моделлю, Будівництво 3.0 з енергоефективною моделлю та Будівництво 4.0 з екосистемною моделлю. Остання модель як продукт сьогодення визнається закономірним результатом глибоких трансформаційних змін як всередині самої галузі, так і у глобальному просторі. «Озеленення» та цифровизацію визнано головними трансформаційними трендами, під впливом яких відбувається модернізація всіх виробничих, споживчих, транспортних і постачальницьких систем всередині будівельного сектору.
This mixed-method study examines the integration of Artificial Intelligence-based Digital Knowledge Ensemble (DKE) into education for the 4th Industrial Revolution, employing both systematic literature review and descriptive analysis. The research explores educators’ perspectives on the benefits and challenges of Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning. While educators anticipate increased efficiency, personalized learning, and improved engagement, concerns about losing the human touch, data privacy, job displacement, and bias in assessments emerge. The results underscore the necessity for an ethical and cautious approach, emphasizing transparency, human oversight, and ongoing evaluation to ensure artificial Intelligence enhances education without compromising student wellbeing and teacher–student connections. The study recommends prioritizing adaptable tools, investing in educator training, implementing robust data security, and fostering collaboration to address ethical concerns and refine its use in education.
The paper deals with the implementation of an intelligent automation system that ensures the smooth operation of a radioactive waste inactivation system as well as the SCADA system responsible for monitoring the entire automation system. It includes the inspection of five radioactive waste management tanks and a central radioactive waste collection pit of a Nuclear Medicine laboratory. The purpose was to create an intelligent automation system with PLC with the possibility of the future expansion of the reservoirs after an increase in hospitalized patients. Object-oriented programming was used with modern control code development techniques, but also visualization of all necessary information. The states tested for system operation are Collection, Treatment, and Wastewater Waiting. Each of the 5 collection tanks has a level sensor, safety float, sewage agitation system, sewage inlet and outlet valves, wash valve, and sampling valve. The system has a central valve that directs wastewater from patient rooms receiving radioactive iodine treatment either to the quench tank system via a central sump or to the central sewer system. Active sewage is collected in the central well and pumped to the collection tank. The central well has a level sensor to activate the pumps and a safety float.
This paper analyses Keynes’s 1930 prediction that technical advances would cut people’s working week to 15 h by 2030 and investigates why actual working hours are significantly higher in the United States. Elaborating on Keynes’s forecast to provide a general productivity formula while keeping its simplicity, we ran tests on macro-data from 1929 to 2019 and on estimates for 2030, demonstrating that productivity is surprisingly still insufficient to allow for a reduction in working hours across the US economy. This finding represents a substantial contribution to the literature, which has mostly explained long working hours by means of new consumer needs. Even by using microdata, we show that consumption does not explain the stickiness of working hours to the bottom. Hence, this paper combines a macroeconomic, logical-analytical approach based on historical time series with rigorously constructed time series at the microeconomic level. Finally, we also provide policies to narrow the productivity differential to Keynes’s prediction for 2030 while fostering work-life balance and sustainable growth. To understand long working hours in the US despite technical advances—this being one of our main findings—productivity remains crucial.
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution era is now constantly progressing, the emergence of Cloud Computing, the Internet of Things, and Big Data is fast changing the computer domain. Accordingly, the computing tasks and processes are getting bigger and more complicated than ever before. In particular Cloud Computing (hereafter abbreviated as CC) is turning out to be a labyrinth in spite of its enormous advantages that it offers to its stake holders-both the individuals and organizations-in today's informational environment of the networked society. CC, as a popular and promising domain of technological paradigm, is now globally established following the availability of high capacity network system, less expensive computers and scalable storage tools, reliable hardware virtualization, and necessaryservice oriented architectural frameworks-all ready to instantly deliver various services on demand. Be that as it may, the character of CC is in a way dialectical and, accordingly, the main objective of the present paper is to undertake, from an interdisciplinary cyber-behavioural perspective, a modest attempt to frame a critical discourse mainly of its threats, vulnerabilities and risks that haunt CC services. These CC issues make it impossible to achieve end-to-end security, on the one hand, and, at one and the same time, further strengthen, on the other hand, the process of transforming late modern society into what is known as risk society.
In the last two decades, the European Union has begun to implement the Third Industrial Revolution program designed by Jeremy Rifkin for the development of the horizontal infrastructure of a new, zero marginal cost, decarbonized, post-capitalist civilization. This strategy lies on 100% renewable energies, self-sufficiency, and energy surplus value of each property, intelligent mobility, and horizontal networks for the distribution and access to information and energy. According to the supposed plan, this infrastructure will promote the political empowerment of citizens, an increase in scale and intensity of empathic relationships, the emergence of a biospheric identity consciousness, and the replacement of the legal-economic regime of private property by a new paradigm of shared access and collaborative commons. This is without a doubt the new real utopia designed by and from the West. This chapter analyzes the utopian nature of this project and shows the purely ideological aspect of its political background, establishing a clear distinction between the collaborative or participatory functioning of the commons and that of the organizational logic inherent to the theory and effective practice of the commons.
The virtual synchronous generator (VSG) is an important concept and primary control method in modern power systems. The penetration of power-electronics-based distributed generators in the power grid provides uncertainty and reduces the inertia of the system, thus increasing the risk of instability when disturbance occurs. The VSG produces virtual inertia by introducing the dynamic characteristics of the synchronous generator, which provides inertia and becomes a grid-forming control method. The disadvantages of the VSG are that there are many parameters to be adjusted and its operation process is complicated. However, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the powerful adaptive learning capability of AI algorithms provides potential solutions to this issue. Two research hotspots are deep learning (DL) and reinforcement learning (RL). This paper presents a comprehensive review of these two techniques combined with VSG control in the energy internet (EI). Firstly, the basic principle and classification of the VSG are introduced. Next, the development of DL and RL algorithms is briefly reviewed. Then, recent research on VSG control based on DL and RL algorithms are summarized. Finally, some main challenges and study trends are discussed.
This study delves into the shift from centralized to decentralized approaches in the electricity industry, with a particular focus on how machine learning (ML) advancements play a crucial role in empowering renewable energy sources and improving grid management. ML models have become increasingly important in predicting renewable energy generation and consumption, utilizing various techniques like artificial neural networks, support vector machines, and decision trees. Furthermore, data preprocessing methods, such as data splitting, normalization, decomposition, and discretization, are employed to enhance prediction accuracy.
The incorporation of big data and ML into smart grids offers several advantages, including heightened energy efficiency, more effective responses to demand, and better integration of renewable energy sources. Nevertheless, challenges like handling large data volumes, ensuring cybersecurity, and obtaining specialized expertise must be addressed. The research investigates various ML applications within the realms of solar energy, wind energy, and electric distribution and storage, illustrating their potential to optimize energy systems. To sum up, this research demonstrates the evolving landscape of the electricity sector as it shifts from centralized to decentralized solutions through the application of ML innovations and distributed decision-making, ultimately shaping a more efficient and sustainable energy future.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), a term popularised by Klaus Schwab in 2016, connected the physical-biological and the digital world. This is an era of artificial intelligence and computational technologies suited to satiate the needs of the human race. The emphasis is also on a digital identity we have developed alongside our physical and psychological entities. Millennials and Gen Z have a cognizant grip on their digital identity and are known to use the fruits of 4IR in their everyday livelihood. However, with the advent of Industry 4.0, the generation of Baby Boomers and Gen X have had to undergo much re-learning and accommodate the newer ways of integrating digitalization in their lives. The process has brought about occupational threats and shaming related to failure to upgradation and flexibility. This article explores the influences of these social experiences on the identity and self-concept of the quinquagenarians and the sexagenarians. The article follows a qualitative method where using a thematic approach, the emerging themes from the in-depth interviews will be analyzed in detail to form a theoretical framework for shaming among the Indian Baby Boomers and Gen X. The variables in focus are adjustment, coping styles, resilience, the purpose of life, and Self-Image. The study explores the themes of Indian adults, which emerge from interviewing 4–6 participants, who have been associated with full-time employment and are between 77 and 59 years of age, representing the Baby Boomers, and those between 43 and 58 years of age, representing Gen X. The analysis adopts a psychoanalytic approach, where the data is interpreted using an Eriksonian lens.
In this Conclusion, Grinin et al. undertake two tasks simultaneously: (1) to summarize a large part of the ideas and forecasts which have been presented in this monograph and (2) to develop a portrait of the new cybernetic society, in which most of the processes analyzed in this book will take on new qualities. The authors call this new unprecedented type of society “cybernetic”, because its formation will be inextricably linked to the completion of the Cybernetic Revolution. The authors forecast that it will be a society, which will be very different from all previous societies. Why? On the one hand, it will be closely connected to very profound technological changes in the management and regulation of our life at all levels. On the other hand, it is inextricably linked to the process of global aging; moreover, aging becomes an integral part of society. Cybernetic society must go through a difficult path of social frictions, conflicts, and optimizations before many things become institutionalized. The horizon of forecasts is sometimes very long—up to the first third of the twenty-second century. The authors describe changes awaiting humanity that are very serious and uncertain, but at the same time hopeful.
Designers must be equipped with methods to contribute to sustainability transitions. Scenario planning arose as approach to integrate future uncertainties while the low-tech concept promotes technological discernment. This paper looks at how low-tech fuelled scenario planning. Analysing institutional and archetypical scenarios shows a partial integration through high and low-tech extremes. However, more nuanced considerations are lacking. This paper shows that low-tech can bring an interesting dimension to future scenarios and thus contributes to method development for sustainable design.
This paper investigates the theoretical foundation for developing renewable geothermal resources locally. For this reason, we pay attention to the role of communities in geothermal development. We derive it from the integral characteristics of geothermal energy next to the shift in the energy transition policies to focus on managing green resources locally. This study presents arguments for a framework that approaches geothermal resources as an endogenous factor of community development. To analyse it, we create a model that explains the local economic characteristics of geothermal exploitation beyond its geological conditions. It aims to conceptualise a community-based geothermal development standard referring to the endogeneity principle. Geothermal energy is given attention since the characteristics of this resource determine its use locally. This induces the internalisation of labour and technology in the local economic system, a specific condition for local geothermal projects where a community remains a prime beneficiary. We argue that the role of communities in geothermal exploitation is pivotal in the process of green growth for further expansion of geothermal energy use.
As noted in the Introduction, under the concept of company, we will group together a variety of institutions which are all associations of people with a common purpose, and who are organized and joined together to achieve specific, declared goals. In a business context, they aim to carry out commercial or industrial activities, including the production, distribution, or consumption of products or services (This definition includes big companies or corporations, with complex organizations sometimes worldwide, and middle and small enterprises with not so complex organization).
Our goal in this first chapter is to review how human beings have been considered in business throughout history, within companies or similar institutions, along with some general remarks on historical context. The chapter begins with a brief review of medieval guilds, the activity of merchants in the Commercial Revolution, and the emergence of chartered companies within the system termed mercantilism. It continues with a look at factory workers in the first and second Industrial Revolutions (1764 to 1914). The following section focuses on the place of the person in significant management theories once managers began to play a crucial role in leading business organizations while subject to scarcely any control (approximately 1915 to 1975). During this period, people went from being seen as producers, with a labor cost, to being viewed as human resources, with a focus on using human capabilities and the possibilities of motivating them to improve the bottom line. Some more human perspectives were also introduced during this period. The last section focuses on more recent situations, including the influence of shareholder capitalism and some recent attempts at humanizing business, such as some promising initiatives proposed by practitioners, academic developments, and claims in favor of humanizing business put forward by international organizations and certain moral voices. The chapter concludes with the challenge of putting persons at the center of the company, not only for its contribution to profits but above all for the sake of people themselves.
From powering our homes to driving our economies, energy lies at the heart of humanity's complex challenges in the modern era. This paper reviews the evolution of smart energy systems, examining their technological advancements and societal implications while proposing a future design framework emphasizing four key pillars: holistic resource optimization, adaptive intelligence, environmental harmony, and human-centered design. While they offer numerous benefits, such as enhanced energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, smart energy systems also face challenges. These include cybersecurity risks, the complexity of integrating diverse energy sources seamlessly, high upfront costs, and potential compatibility issues arising from evolving technologies. Overcoming these challenges will be crucial for unleashing the full potential of smart energy systems and facilitating their global adoption. Abundant opportunities for further research and development exist in this domain, awaiting exploration and advancement.
As part of the transition to renewable energy production, the use of photovoltaics is not sustainable per se. Planning can guide PV development while minimising possible negative impacts on society, the economy, and the environment. To date, however, the lack of adequate tools and information at the local level and the lack of integrated planning in the design of energy initiatives are key challenges. This paper aims to support a sustainable energy transition at the regional level and proposes a methodology to (i) determine the area required to achieve transition goals through PV; (ii) evaluate possible alternative surface categories for PV installation without consuming additional land. Through the illustrative case study of the Veneto Region, electricity demand is calculated based on consumption data, and the area needed to cover this demand through PV is calculated. Areas available for PV installation were mapped, classified (e.g., roofs of houses, parking lots, school buildings, …), and quantified through GIS. The results show that the available areas correspond to 11 times those needed to achieve the goals. This work provides a methodology to support regional decision makers to take a concrete step toward sustainable transition policies. This methodology can be replicated for other regional contexts.
This concept paper aims to shed light on the emergence of the first to the fifth industrial revolutions, their evolution, and their transformative steps towards Society 5.0. By explaining the nuances of the different phases of industrial revolutions and their positive and negative externalities, we found that the fifth industrial revolution can be considered a transformative step for the emergence or coevolution of Society 5.0. By examining how Society 5.0 affects various aspects of human society (e.g., advances in healthcare and improved life expectancy; business, the economy, growth, and industry; education and skills; privacy and cybersecurity; smart cities; labour and the workforce), we conclude that Society 5.0 should move forward by adhering to the harmonious integration of humans and technology to address the world's pressing problems in the future.
The transition to renewable energy is vital and fast-paced, but how do we choose which technologies to drive this energy transition? This timely book provides everyone interested in the renewable energy transition with an introduction to and technical foundation for understanding modern energy technology. It traces everyday power generation through history, from the Industrial Revolution to today. It examines the use of wood, coal, oil, natural gas, hydro, and nuclear to produce energy, before discussing renewable energy sources such as biomass, photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, wind, wave, and geothermal. The book examines to what extent and how each technology can contribute to a clean, green infrastructure. The Truth About Energy explains the science and engineering of energy to help everyone understand and compare current and future advances in renewable energy, providing the context to critically examine the different technologies that are competing in a fast-evolving engineering, political, and economic landscape.
Chapter 11, The Self-destructing Propensities of Global Capitalism, considers contradictions in the development of global capitalism which have precipitated the formation of a new ascendant class predicated on information technology, economic abundance and collaborative production. A metamorphosis is occurring leading to a new superior social formation, post-capitalism, which can take various forms. The claim, that contemporary capitalism is driven by ascendant forces, the creatariat, leading to a new form of production, based on a network society and the creative industries, is evaluated and found to be inadequate. A future ‘automated luxury communism’ consequent on increased productivity is questioned and found to be over optimistic. Other critics consider that the state is undermining capitalism. Disillusion with previous forms of social democratic electoral politics and with the ‘vanguard party’ leads to the rejection of organisational forms of leadership as means to attain political power. The author examines the call, by various writers, for autonomous spontaneous action to create cooperative social forms of economy and social life to replace global capitalism. It is contended that such views are over optimistic as a means to overcome the dominant transnational corporations (TNCs) and hegemonic capitalist states.
The focus of this paper was to analyze the role of IoT and monitoring systems in the automobile industry. The automobile industry is growing at a faster rate as the world population and demand for vehicles increases. The trend of IoT in automobiles is increasing every day due to the proliferation of automatic vehicles. This will cause many changes in the automobile industry as many customers look at improving their interactivity with their vehicles [1]. Modern industry is embracing the use of computer chips and sophisticated sensors to control how vehicles operate in various environments. The mass interconnectedness of many functionalities in vehicles is now a common phenomenon in car manufacturing. This will continue to advance as the demand for more efficient vehicles increases [2]. Automotive IoT incorporates many devices in their systems to optimize the functionality of their products. Most of these interconnected devices are complex and collect large volumes of data that will be processed in real-time. Common devices that form the automotive IoT include sensors, GPS trackers, and cameras. The main role of incorporating IoT in automobiles is to optimize the manufacturing process while also making transport manageable and more efficient. It also makes automobiles more intelligent when moving from one point to another. The advanced IoT features are effective in-vehicle interaction, predictive maintenance, road safety, enhanced quality control, and minimized human errors [2].
In the coming years, every industry, whether education, services, or administration, will face the 5.0 challenges, such as real-time-based digital twins and simulation, human–machine interaction, human-centric solutions, bio-inspired technologies, smart materials, cyber-safe data transmission, virtual collaboration, technologies for energy efficiency and trustworthy autonomy and artificial intelligence. Higher Education Institutions must respond with 5.0 concepts and play a crucial role in preparing the students. Therefore, adapted future-ready curricula and skills are necessary, as well as rethinking Engineering Education for the next generation and developing Future-Ready Skills for Industry 5.0, green transition, and a sustainable future. This paper aims to present the main teaching approaches to developing these skills, including problem-based learning, scenario-based learning, and non-traditional laboratories. These teaching and learning methodologies have been systematized and exemplified with current implementations from around the world. It is crucial for future engineers to possess skills such as curiosity, an agile mindset, complex problem-solving abilities, creativity, and leadership in order to meet the requirements of Industry 5.0. By providing a thorough understanding of the characteristics of the fourth industrial revolution and the fourth educational revolution, as well as the skills needed to reach Industry 5.0, higher education can produce professionals that are well-equipped to meet the needs of society in the digital age.
Aside from the trends, there are some dominant—and promising—ways of addressing today’s problems whilst preparing for the developments of tomorrow. In this chapter, we present and discuss three types of approaches and some of their methods. First, we look at urban governance. Whilst not at the focus of this book, it is the foundation for many of the other approaches and a key element of urban mobility system transitions. Next, we outline people-centred design approaches, including some examples of how that can be achieved in future settings. Lastly, we look at data-driven design and decision-making with in-depth discussions of mobility system modelling and charging infrastructure management.
Explores how technological innovation has shaped and been shaped by science, industry, and economics in the twentieth century. Technological change and specific technologies have impacted productivity, the learning process, technology transfer and technology policies. Starting with a summary of historical literature on technical progress, the book goes on to discuss and promote Karl Marx's influential method of studying technology as the result of interrelated social processes -- especially emphasizing the mutual interaction between technology and the economy. Analysis of current empirical studies shows the need for an enlarged framework for understanding the relation between the economy and technical change. Technological interdependence in the American economy is analyzed, and later expanded to encompass international business. High-tech industries are discussed as particularly reliant upon scientific research. The commercial aircraft industry from 1925-75 is also examined, as an exemplary instance in which technological innovation and government support and regulation allowed for economic success. The book concludes that scientific progress is heavily influenced by technological considerations that are, in turn, shaped by industry and economics. Thus, decisions made in the private and public sectors should affect both supply and demand, favoring the creative, mutually advantageous connection between science and technology. (CJC)
The growing significance of information-its creation, processing, and management-in today’s economies has been well documented. The sociologist Daniel Bell (1973) observed that the developed world is entering a postindustrial phase in which “what counts is not raw muscle power, or energy, but information,” and economists have attempted to quantify this phenomenon.1 Their studies show that businesses in the United States now spend more on the office-based functions of information handling than on the physical production and processing of goods, a proportion that was less than 18 percent in 1900.2 This shift of economic resources from the traditional productive activities of industrial and agricultural workers to the information-handling functions of white-collar workers constitutes one of the major changes of this century in the structure of industrialized economies.
The debate on software intellectual property rights (IPRs) has not only highlighted fundamental issues regarding the scheme of protection that software enjoys, it has also pointed out major gaps in the representation of computer programs as economic goods. In this respect, various interpretations of software propose a limited outlook by referring only to particular aspects of computer programs. The paper discusses the economic nature of software and computational processes and how they should be properly represented as commodities by focusing on software IPR legislation in the US. It elaborates the similarities and differences between software applications and machines on the basis of historical evidence from the evolution of information technologies and computer science. Further, we discuss whether computer programs should enjoy IPR protection (like their physical equivalents) and which legal regime would induce the maximal degree of societal benefits, while satisfying private and public interests. The paper also elaborates the essential issues of the distinction between ideas and expressions and the ways they are treated as intellectual property. It highlights major aspects in the debate over protection of software applications by both patents and copyrights and analyses the economic impact of the joint regime. By highlighting the dissimilarities in the economic nature and market behaviour of ideas and expressions we point out the difficulties in drawing parallels between software and physical equivalents. Finally, we provide alternative ways to establish coherent juridical basis and legal policy of software IPRs that aim at stimulating innovation and developing the technological landscape in information technologies.
The role that investment-specific technological change played in generating postwar U.S. growth is investigated here. The premise is that the introduction of new, more efficient capital goods is an important source of productivity change, and an attempt is made to disentangle its effects from the more traditional Hicks-neutral form of technological progress. The balanced-growth path for the model is characterized and calibrated to U.S. National Income and Product Account data. The quantitative analysis suggests that investment-specific technological change accounts for the major part of growth.
This benchmark volume addresses the debate over the effects of early industrialization on standards of living during the decades before the Civil War. Its contributors demonstrate that the aggregate antebellum economy was growing faster than any other large economy had grown before. Despite the dramatic economic growth and rise in income levels, questions remain as to the general quality of life during this era. Was the improvement in income widely shared? How did economic growth affect the nature of work? Did higher levels of income lead to improved health and longevity? The authors address these questions by analyzing new estimates of labor force participation, real wages, and productivity, as well as of the distribution of income, height, and nutrition.
This paper examines learning by doing in the context of a production function in which the other arguments are labor, human capital, physical capital, and vintage as a proxy for embodied technical change in physical capital. Learning is further decomposed into organization learning, capital learning, and manual task learning. The model is tested with time-series and cross-section data for various samples of up to 2,150 plants over a fourteen-year period. Copyright 1993 by University of Chicago Press.
Using data from the March Current Population Survey, the authors document an increase over the past 30 years in wage inequality for males. Between 1963 and 1989, real average weekly wages for the least skilled workers declined by about 5 percent, whereas wages for the most skilled workers rose by about 40 percent. The authors find that the trend toward increased wage inequality is apparent within narrowly defined education and labor market experience groups. Their interpretation is that much of the increase in wage inequality fro males over the last 20 years is due to increased returns to the components of skill other than years of schooling and years of labor market experience. Copyright 1993 by University of Chicago Press.
The authors estimate labor dem and equations derived from a (restricted variable) cost function in which "experience" on a technology (proxied by the mean age of the capital stock) enters "non-neutrally." The specification of the underlying cost function isbased on the hypothesis that highly educated workers have a comparative advantage with re spect to the adjustment to, and implementation of, new technologies. The empiric al results are consistent with the implication of this hypothesis, that the rel ative demand for educated workers declines as the ages of plant and (particularl y) of equipment increase, especially in R&D-intensive industries. Copyright 1987 by MIT Press.
A vintage capital model where the firm makes decisions about whether to replace or upgrade its old capital stock with new capital is developed in this paper. The model is used to study how technological characteristics of capital affect investment behavior. In particular, it is asked how the rate of technological advance, the compatibility between capital stocks of different vintages, and the extent of learning-by-doing affect investment behavior. The model sheds light on the "information technology productivity paradox." The results suggest that the paradox may just be an artifact of the estimation procedures used, which ignore the vintage features of capital. Finally, the key implications of the model are tested using firm-level data. The data support the implications of the model that information technology (IT) capital is associated with a strong learning-by-doing effect and that IT capital investment is lumpier than other kinds of capital investment. (Copyright: Elsevier)
Micreconomic data show two important facts about new products. First, some products are more important than others. Second, it takes them years to penetrate the market significantly. The authors' calibrated model with these features overpredicts the autocovariance of U.S. GNP at long lags but underpredicts it at short lags. The latter is not surprising since the model leaves out other obvious high-frequency shocks. The puzzle is why the U.S. GNP data do not show stronger autocorrelation at higher lags. A surprising finding is that, while the speed of diffusion has huge level effects, it plays a minor role in shaping the business cycle. Copyright 1997 by Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania and the Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association.
Some International Evidence on Equipment–Skill Complementarity
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Machines and Growth: The Implications for Growth Theory of the History of the Industrial Revolution
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Technology in the Early Nineteenth Century The Economic History of Britain since 1700
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