Technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

This section introduces the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the technologies driving it, from 5G and quantum computing to robotics and 3D printing. Each page explains a technology in plain terms and shows where it is already at work in aerospace, space and aviation. To see these technologies shaping aircraft, spacecraft and factories, visit the Future of Aerospace Hub; for the roles they are creating, see Future Careers.

But first, what is the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and what were the first, second and third? And is a fifth already beginning?

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0)

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), also known as Industry 4.0, describes an era in which digital, physical and biological systems converge, reshaping industries, economies and societies. The term was popularised in 2016 by Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, who used it for the way emerging fields such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, new materials and advanced digital production overlap and reinforce one another. In manufacturing, this wave of change began in the mid-2010s and is still working through how products are designed, made and maintained. The key components of Industry 4.0 are:

Technology alone is not enough. Companies also need people who can use it, which is why employers invest in upskilling (learning new skills for a changing role) and reskilling (retraining for a different role altogether). For students, the message is simpler: the skills the industry needs are changing, and the people who learn them will be in demand.

4IR and the Aerospace Industry

In aerospace and defence, Industry 4.0 means applying these technologies across the whole life of a product: designing and testing aircraft and spacecraft digitally before anything is built, adding sensors and connectivity so that products report on their own condition in service, and manufacturing with methods such as 3D printing that produce lighter parts with less waste.

Challenges and Opportunities

Adoption has been uneven. In a report published in 2019, Deloitte found that 84% of the aerospace and defence executives it surveyed saw digital technologies as key to setting their companies apart, yet only a quarter of companies were using them to inform decisions in real time. The biggest obstacle was not the technology itself but designing new products and business models around it.

For students, the practical point is that none of this is confined to research laboratories. Each technology has its own page in this section, and the Future of Aerospace Hub shows them at work in aircraft, spacecraft and factories, alongside the companies and roles involved.

The Fifth Industrial Revolution (IR 5.0)

This revolution, also known as Industry 5.0, is a newer idea, set out by the European Commission in 2021 and still taking shape. Its main themes are:

In summary, the Fifth Industrial Revolution aims to combine technological progress with human values, resilience and sustainability. Whether it proves to be a distinct revolution or an extension of the fourth, the people who will work through it are in school today.