The Industry 4.0 project is mainly divided into three themes:
The first is "smart factories," which focuses on the research of intelligent production systems and processes, as well as the realization of networked distributed production facilities;
The second aspect is "intelligent manufacturing," which mainly involves the enterprise's overall production logistics management, human-machine interaction, and the application of 3D technology in industrial production processes. This plan will place particular emphasis on attracting the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), aiming to make them users and beneficiaries of next-generation intelligent manufacturing technologies, as well as creators and suppliers of advanced industrial production technologies.
Thirdly, "smart logistics" mainly integrates logistics resources through the Internet, the Internet of Things, and logistics networks, giving full play to the efficiency of existing logistics resource suppliers, while demanders can quickly obtain service matching and logistics support.
Core features of Industry 4.0
The term Industry 4.0 signifies the fourth industrial revolution in human history. The first industrial revolution, which began in the 1760s and mid-19th century, involved the mechanization of factories through water power and steam engines; the second industrial revolution, from the late 19th to the early 20th century, saw the widespread adoption of electricity; and the third industrial revolution, emerging in the late 20th century, was the automation of production processes based on programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Industry 4.0 aims to be a technological innovation comparable to these previous industrial revolutions.
The essence of Industry 4.0 is to shift from economies of scale to economies of scope through automated data flow technologies, building heterogeneous and customized industries at the cost of homogeneous scale. This plays a crucial role in industrial restructuring.
Industry 4.0 is driving a new industrial revolution, with interconnectivity as its core characteristic. Internet technology reduces information asymmetry between production and sales, accelerating their interaction and feedback. This fosters consumer-driven business models, and Industry 4.0 is a key element in realizing this model. Industry 4.0 represents intelligent production through "Internet + Manufacturing," giving rise to numerous new business models and truly enabling a "C2B2C" business model.
The world's major manufacturing powers have varying understandings of the upcoming trend of automated data flow. A prime example is the "Industrial Internet" driven by General Electric (GE), which focuses more on the intelligence of the products themselves.
