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Review

Industrial Revolutions and Automation: Tracing Economic and Social Transformations of Manufacturing

by
Bence Márk Szeszák
1,2,*,
István Gergely Kerékjártó
2,
László Soltész
3 and
Péter Galambos
1
1
Innovation Management Doctoral School, Obuda University, H-1034 Budapest, Hungary
2
Emerson Automation FCP Kft, H-3300 Eger, Hungary; istvan.kerekjarto@emerson.com
3
Thermo Fisher Scientific, H-1137 Budapest, Hungary
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Societies 2025, 15(4), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15040088
Submission received: 9 February 2025 / Revised: 22 March 2025 / Accepted: 25 March 2025 / Published: 29 March 2025

Abstract

The rapid evolution of automation has become a defining phenomenon of the modern era, underscoring its great influence on industries and economies. Since the First Industrial Revolution, advancements in technology have consistently transformed manufacturing processes, progressively introducing mechanization, electrification, and digitalization. The current Fifth Industrial Revolution incorporates these changes through the integration of robotics, cobots (collaborative robots), and AI-driven (Artificial Intelligence) systems, representing unprecedented levels of human–machine collaboration. This paper examines the historical evolution of automation and industrial robotics and, based on the current state of the art, highlights the current standing of its economic and societal impacts. The adoption of automation and robotization in the supply chain and manufacturing has significantly enhanced productivity and precision, reducing errors and operational costs. However, it has also contributed to job displacement, especially in repetitive and manual tasks, necessitating the reskilling of the human workforce. Automation brings two main financial effects: it reduces long-term labor costs and boosts efficiency, but the upfront investments in advanced robotics and infrastructure are significant. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by automation, which ensures a balanced approach to economic growth, workforce development, and technological adoption across all sectors influenced by successive industrial revolutions.
Keywords: industrial revolutions; automation; human workforce; socioeconomic impact; job-displacement; human–machine collaboration industrial revolutions; automation; human workforce; socioeconomic impact; job-displacement; human–machine collaboration

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MDPI and ACS Style

Szeszák, B.M.; Kerékjártó, I.G.; Soltész, L.; Galambos, P. Industrial Revolutions and Automation: Tracing Economic and Social Transformations of Manufacturing. Societies 2025, 15, 88. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15040088

AMA Style

Szeszák BM, Kerékjártó IG, Soltész L, Galambos P. Industrial Revolutions and Automation: Tracing Economic and Social Transformations of Manufacturing. Societies. 2025; 15(4):88. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15040088

Chicago/Turabian Style

Szeszák, Bence Márk, István Gergely Kerékjártó, László Soltész, and Péter Galambos. 2025. "Industrial Revolutions and Automation: Tracing Economic and Social Transformations of Manufacturing" Societies 15, no. 4: 88. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15040088

APA Style

Szeszák, B. M., Kerékjártó, I. G., Soltész, L., & Galambos, P. (2025). Industrial Revolutions and Automation: Tracing Economic and Social Transformations of Manufacturing. Societies, 15(4), 88. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15040088

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