Structural changes in the manufacturing sector as an effect of implementing the concept of Industry 4.0

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to identify changes taking place in the employment structure within NACE ‘Section C – Manufacturing’ which accompany the implementation of the Industry 4.0 concept. The spatial scope of the analysis covers seven EU member states, i.e. Czechia, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. The time range includes the years 2011–2018. All the new technologies that make up Industry 4.0 accelerate industrial transformation processes, additionally transforming the labour market, business management methods and the structure of the goods and services market. The main foundations of the Industry 4.0 concept include automation and robotics, which are increasingly implemented in new areas of life. The fastest-growing market is that for industrial robots which are used in enterprises more and more often and directly affect labour demand. Most industrial robots are used in the manufacturing of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, excluding motorcycles (Division 29) with Germany and Czechia being leaders in their use. The analysis shows that an increase in robotisation reduces the demand for work for the young, and this only increased in countries that present a low robotisation rate and outdated manufacturing activity.