A Study on the Preparedness of the 4th Industrial Revolution in the Manufacturing Industry

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The 4th industrial revolution is in its progressive form, and its effects are already being revealed throughout society. It has led to a variety of new technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), big data, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, cyber-physical systems, biotechnology, 3D printers, drones, and Uber. The winds of this revolution are expected to bring many changes to the manufacturing industry. The low-growth global economy and a decline in productivity are prompting a 4th industrial revolution centered on Europe’s Germany, as it needed new growth engines. In Korea, manufacturing industries focused on labor and capital were the center of the industry. The goal was to pursue the first and second industrial revolution led by the developed countries, and to achieve what is called the “Miracle of the Han River”, “The Four Dragons for Asia”, and “The East Asian Miracle”. However, unlike the past, the 4th industrial revolution is not expected to bring about theoretical but substantial changes. The preparations and research into the 4th industrial revolution may seem to be ahead of the major countries, but unfortunately it is far behind the major ones. The United States, China, Germany and Japan are in the process of reorganizing the society, culture and economy in relation to the 4th industrial revolution. Korea`s economy, however, is showing a decline in the growth rate, with the exception of technical hardware and equipment and telecommunications. The 4th industrial revolution is an industry that requires highly specialized knowledge, information, and technology, and if it fails to respond to rapidly evolving technological changes and trends, it is bound to be relegated to the government's position. For small and medium sized manufacturers in particular, the longer the preparation is delayed due to poor environment, structural backwardness, lack of core competencies, and lack of innovation, the more likely they will adjust to social and technological changes caused by the 4th industrial revolution. Accordingly, it is necessary to enhance the importance of preparation for the 4th Industrial Revolution and to take strategic approaches to enhance the sophistication of technologies and the autonomy of small and medium sized manufacturing companies. In this study, we intend to study the manufacturing-ready effects of manufacturing industries based on the level of perception of the company’s 4th industrial revolution. For this purpose, 122 small and medium manufacturing companies were surveyed on the 4th industrial revolution. The survey was conducted for about four months from December 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. In the case of small and medium sized manufacturing companies, a hypothesis was established on how the perception and preparation of the industrial revolution affects the direct preparation of the 4th industrial revolution. Three assumptions were presented depending on the level of perception of the 4th industrial revolution and the data were drawn from the questionnaire. When comparing the data to the hypothesis, small and medium manufacturing companies should be able to determine the level of interest they have in the 4th Industrial Revolution, and if they are not prepared to do so, they should be able to invest in a certain extent.