Industrial revitalization via industry 4.0 – A comparative policy analysis among China, Germany and the USA

• Published in: Global transitions Vol. 1; pp. 3 - 14
• Main Authors: Kuo, Chu-Chi, Shyu, Joseph Z., Ding, Kun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 2019; KeAi Communications Co., Ltd
• Subjects: Industrial revitalization; Industry 4.0; Innovation policy; Policy instruments; Policy instruments; Industry 4.0; Innovation policy; Industrial revitalization
• ISSN: 2589-7918; 2589-7918
• DOI: 10.1016/j.glt.2018.12.001

In the second decade of the 21st century, rapid proliferation of technology and intensified global competition have created a sense of urgency for governments of developed and developing nations alike to engage in major industrial revitalization, leading to global emergence of something generically known of as Industry 4.0, with a core of industrial transformation, revitalization and development. These critical government programs are expected to drastically change the global structures of major industrial sectors. This paper aims at developing a comparative analysis of innovation policy amid the industrial revitalization of Industry 4.0 among China, Germany and the USA, with a focus on differentiation of specific policy instruments announced by these governments for their preferential developments. This research provides a theoretical analysis of innovation policy but adopts a rather pragmatic approach, with the policy framework of Rothwell and Zegveld [3] adopted as a basis for the anatomy of innovation policies. Results suggest that the policy orientation of the USA tends to favor demand-side policy, public services, political and education and training policies, whereas policy preferences in Germany tends to favor demand-side policy, public services, scientific and technical development and political ones; while it is environmental-side policy, political, legal and regulatory, and public service policies for China. Due to all policy tools are given equal weight in this cross-national analysis, the findings of this study may not easily be generalized to all industrial sectors and may be subject to other interpretations. •A theoretical analysis of innovation policy but adopts a rather pragmatic approach.•Describes in detail a number of innovation policies currently being pursued in the Industry 4.0 initiatives and contributes to Industry 4.0 policy research by applying an innovation policy framework to explore policy dynamics in the USA, Germany and China.•Results suggest that the policy orientation of the USA tends to favor demand-side policy, public services, political and education and training policies, whereas policy preferences in Germany tends to favor demand-side policy, public services, scientific and technical development and political ones; while it is environmental-side policy, political, legal and regulatory, and public service policies for China.