Industry Challenges in the 21st Century
1. The Energy Challenge
The industry, traditionally a large energy consumer, must adapt to 21st-century environmental demands. This involves focusing on efficiency, savings, and renewable energy sources.
2. The Technological Challenge
Information technologies are revolutionizing the industry. This revolution involves new materials for microelectronics, telecommunications, and industrial production. These innovations impact design, production processes, and even product storage and distribution.
3. The Challenge of New Forms of Work
Increasing production now requires capital investment in advanced technology, not simply more workers.
The Energy Crisis and the Era of Energy Efficiency
Similar to the Fordist crisis, the 1973 oil crisis caused a major economic downturn, highlighting Western economies’ dependence on Eastern oil. This led to a shift in energy policy, focusing on alternative sources and energy-saving programs, especially in industry. The automotive industry developed more fuel-efficient systems. New lighting systems, like fluorescent and compact bulbs, are far more efficient than traditional ones. Compared to 1950, building a house requires 20% less energy, and manufacturing a vehicle requires 40% less.
Renewable Energies
Renewable energies are inexhaustible sources. The main ones are biomass, mini-hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal.
- Biomass: Organic matter of plant or animal origin.
- Mini-hydro power: Using water for power generation with minimal environmental impact.
- Solar energy: High-potential energy source with low environmental impact.
- Wind energy: Intermittent and region-dependent, making its use complex.
- Geothermal energy: Utilizing heat from the Earth’s interior. Potential areas include Catalonia, Aragon, Andalusia, and Murcia.
2. The Technological Challenge: Information
Industrial societies are based on a digital world where information technologies are central. “The multiplier is the number of times technology can improve its intended objective.” Information technologies (computers and telecommunications) have evolved significantly.
2.1 What Constitutes a Technological Revolution?
Information technologies are based on digital systems. They create a convergence of technologies, integrating different communication forms into one system. What we do on a computer, we’ll do on television (communications revolution).
2.3 Consequences of this Technological Revolution
New technologies are concentrating economic power. Large states and state-owned enterprises can create imbalances.
3. The Challenges of New Forms of Work and Employment
Unemployment is a major social concern. The traditional model of stable employment with a living wage, healthcare, and pensions is in crisis due to transformations in the economic system, particularly in industry.
The industrial sector now faces structural unemployment, unlike the temporary transitional unemployment caused by periodic crises. This is due to the new model of industrial production. Workers are leaving manual labor and struggling to adapt to new production methods, especially those over 45.
3.1 New Forms of Work
Today’s industry uses robotic and automated systems. Manual labor is shifting towards design and production control, requiring more skilled workers. Workers need fewer manual skills and more intellectual abilities to understand and use large amounts of information. Abstract thinking is essential for future industrial work.
Future demand will favor individuals skilled in process planning, problem-solving, and information processing. Increased productivity comes from applying information technology, not more workers. Companies become more competitive by offering better quality at the same price, achieved partly through better-trained workers with higher education and personal skills. These qualities are crucial in candidate selection.