Fourth industrial revolution concepts in the automotive sector: performativity, work and employment

In order to assess the possibility for a digital manufacturing revolution to take place in the automotive sector, the article reviews the historical evolution of automotive manufacturing technologies and organisations and analyses the impact on “fourth industrial revolution” concepts on their current transformations, taking into account in particular their consequences for employment and work. It shows that previous attempts of automating final assembly have failed because human based teamwork organizations have proved more flexible and efficient in dealing with complex assembly processes. It also highlights that the two main reasons behind these attempts in the past are not present anymore: important gaps in productivity and quality between leading and lagging firms; and shortages of skilled and unskilled manpower willing to work in automotive factories. The scope for a digital manufacturing revolution taking place in the automotive sector appears therefore limited. The analysis of the impact on automotive manufacturing of the three main “fourth industrial revolution” concepts in Germany (Industrie 4.0) in the US (advanced manufacturing), and in China (Made in China 2025) supports more than it challenges this historical understanding of the future of manufacturing in the automotive sector. It dismisses the idea that a fourth industrial revolution is under way and that a radical disruptive break will take place in the coming years.