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The fourth
industrial
revolution
takes this
a stage
further by
implementing
a fusion of
emerging
technologies
across the
digital,
physical and
biological
spheres
Henry Ford mass
produces the
Ford Model T
Beginning
of the third
industrial
revolution
Industries now fully
implement technologies
such AI, robotics, 5G,
nanotechnology and
blockchain
Beginning
of the 4th
industrial
revolution
1908
1960s
2020+
2010s
causing a number of problems including; respiratory
disease, poor visibility on the roads and an increase in
traffic-related deaths. Legislation including the 1875 Public
Health Act and the 1926 Smoke Abatement Act was
aimed at reducing pollution, but it was not until the Great
London Smog of 1952 and the subsequent Clean Air Acts
of 1956/1968 that any positive changes were seen. These
improvements have since been largely reversed by the
use of motor vehicles across the capital, although green
initiatives such as the congestion charge help to reduce
the overall impact.
There is often confusion surrounding the difference
between the third and fourth industrial revolutions, but the
characteristics of each era are subtly different. The third
industrial revolution was responsible for the shift away
from reliance on physical products, marking the start of
the Information Age. It was characterised by the use of
electronics and IT to automate production, prompted by
the advent of computers in the late 1960s. London was a
huge beneficiary from the subsequent process changes,
which shifted its economy in the direction of the service
industries, where it continues to excel. The introduction
of home computing, mobile phones and widespread use
of the internet radically changed the way we live and
work. The media sector, so long a stalwart of Fleet Street,
adapted new computerised printing and relocated to
Wapping; banking migrated to electronic screen based
trading, word processers replaced the typing pool, e-mail
supplanted the letter, while teleworking was the hot new
trend. All of which enabled historic location ties and
clusters to be disrupted, and new areas of London opening
up to businesses.
The fourth industrial revolution takes this a stage
further by implementing a fusion of emerging technologies
across the digital, physical and biological spheres. These
technological advances are occurring at an ever-increasing
rate, with a transition from linear to exponential growth
seen in recent years. The scope of this high-velocity
change will affect all sectors, but also the processes within
organisations. This will inevitably lead to changes in the
way we work and live, with technologies such as artificial
intelligence, blockchain, robotics, internet of things, 5G
mobile networks, nanotechnology, autonomous vehicles
and quantum computing all acting as catalysts for shifts in
management, production and governance.
Many of these technologies deliver automation of work
processes, particularly low value or low skill tasks such as
data entry; however the impact is wider. Many traditional
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PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE