The fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0 as it is also named, which originates from Germany, is a current process that is radically changing the patterns of production systems into smart factories, which affects the entire economy and society. The master's thesis is correlated to the analysis of Industry 4.0 in a wider economic-geographical and regional development context. The first part refers to the definition of the concept of Industry 4.0, the indirect and direct impact on production, the economy and society, as well as the locational factors that are key to the development of Industry 4.0 in a specific location. The second part refers to the state of Industry 4.0 in the world and in the European Union, also there are listed the most successful countries in the implementation of Industry 4.0 and their key strategies. The third part focuses on the key strategies of Slovenia and the European Union that promote Industry 4.0. In the last part, with the help of statistical analyses, the preparedness of the statistical regions of Slovenia for Industry 4.0 is examined more precisely. With the reference to the level of readiness for Industry 4.0, the Central Slovenian statistical region stands out the most, which is a consequence of the localization of the economy. A region with high potential is the statistical region of Southeastern Slovenia. The worst ranked is the Pomurska statistical region, as it is ranked last in both categories of assessment of the state of preparedness. The difference between the west and the east of Slovenia is also evident, as the statistical regions in the west of the country are significantly better prepared for Industry 4.0. Recently, more attention has been paid to this topic, so we believe that the study of Industry 4.0 in geography will definitely be further strengthened.
|
