Industrial Revolution 4.0 - A New World Order?

Abstract

In history, we have already experienced three industrial revolutions: the first industrial revolution took place between 1760 and 1830. It was the transition to new production processes that started from Great Britain, so that in the middle of the 18th century the British became the world’s leading trading nation, controlling global trade through their colonization, and subsequently becoming the hegemon in the world order. The second industrial revolution is dated to the period between 1870 and World War I. It was the technological revolution, that still emanated from Britain, so that it could strengthen its hegemonic power. The third industrial revolution, also called the digital revolution, took place between 1947 and the beginning of the 21st century. The digital revolution begun in the United States of America, and the new revolution made the U.S. the leading country in global trade. The U.S. became one of the strongest countries in the world order and became a new hegemon. So, as we can see from the first three industrial revolutions, whoever leads the revolution will be the newest power in the new world order. The fourth industrial revolution has already begun in the 21st century, with Asian countries such as China, South-Korea, Singapore, etc. leading the new technological developments. Will Asia be the new world power through the Industrial Revolution 4.0? This paper attempts to answer this question by examining the relationship between industrial revolutions and the world order.