The industrial internet of things (IIoT) has created entirely new inter-firm competitive and collaborative dynamics that focus on the supply of digital infrastructures, services and platforms for industrial users. These dynamics typically involve machinery builders, information technology...

New digital technologies based on the internet of things and artificial intelligence play centre stage in contemporary discussions about the prospects for economic development and the future of work. This article summarizes theoretical and empirical contributions on how these technologies affect...

The article analyses the evolution of automotive manufacturing technologies and organisations and assesses the impact of "fourth industrial revolution" concepts and policies (in Germany, US and China) in particular for employment and work. While it dismisses the idea that a fourth industrial...

Der intelligente Arbeitshandschuh oder die smarte Brille: Mit der Digitalisierung rückt datenaufzeichnende Hardware eng an den Körper der Beschäftigten. Bewegungen, Vitalzeichen und selbst Emotionen können damit sichtbar werden. Was viele privat gerne zur Kontrolle von sportlichen...

The first publications on lean production and the evidence of the competitive advantage Japanese companies held over German competitors (Womack et al. 1990) shocked the German automotive industry of the late 1980s and early 1990s, leading to difficult discussions within companies, trade unions...

The contribution discusses the impact of digitalization approaches in industrial companies and their implications for the global division of labour and work. It proceeds by investigating the scope and character of automation and its impact on the relationship between production locations in high...

The development of Industry 4.0 technologies creates leeway for the digital transformation of manufacturing companies, whose business models increasingly rely on software and data-based services. While several studies emphasise that manufacturing has no choice but to follow this transformation,...

The current understanding of automation is dominated by “routine-biased technological change” (RBTC). This theory predicts a strong automation dynamic in jobs with high routine-task share and a polarization of employment structures. While RBTC theory has many merits, this paper develops a...

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world of work. For trade unions, the issue of how to regulate the use of AI is a central but difficult topic because the technology is still at an early stage and experience on its use limited. Focusing on Germany, this article addresses...

Die Transition zur Elektromobilität verläuft in Mittelost- und Südosteuropa langsamer als in Deutschland; zugleich wachsen Länder wie Polen und Ungarn zu wichtigen Komponentenstandorten für Elektromobilität heran. Daher werden durch die Transition mittelfristig keine negativen...