The Evolution of Industry: From Ancient Origins to Modern Automation
UNIT 1: ORGANIZATION OF THE INDUSTRY – Regimes and Evolution
INDUSTRY
Definition:
- Historically, a group of people cooperating through a labor agreement to produce consumer goods.
- Today, the term refers to a large establishment employing many people for the mass production of consumer or industrial goods.
ORIGINS
Evidence of early industry exists in ancient Rome and Greece, with the discovery of potteries in areas conquered by the two empires. These potteries produced bronze items, crystalware, and various other products for domestic consumption and export.
MIDDLE AGES
During the Middle Ages, silk fabrication and textile production emerged in cities like “UNCLE” and “STOQUIA” in Flanders and Belgium. In the 16th and 17th centuries, factories utilizing hydraulic systems, primarily watermills, were established. Most of these factories were workshops where employees worked independently using large hand tools. Production was simple, and the output was often managed domestically. Workers would take materials home, complete their work, and then return the manufactured goods for payment.
EVOLUTION
The 18th century marked a turning point with the transition from domestic industry to factory-based production. A series of inventions, particularly in the British textile industry, revolutionized manufacturing. Key innovations included:
- The Spinning Jenny (1764)
- The Hydraulic Spinning Machine
- Edmund Cartwright’s Mechanical Loom
These inventions shifted production from manual tools to machines, enabling faster and cheaper output. The size of these machines necessitated a move away from homes to factories.
The most significant invention of the Industrial Revolution was arguably James Watt’s steam engine. This invention freed industries from their reliance on water power, allowing them to relocate closer to labor and goods markets. The steam engine also revolutionized transportation with the development of locomotives and steamboats, enabling the efficient and cost-effective transportation of goods to distant markets.
SERIES PRODUCTION
Early examples of series production, or assembly line manufacturing, appeared in the textile industry. American inventor Eli Whitney is credited as a pioneer in this field, designing an assembly line for manufacturing interchangeable parts for weapons. This innovation significantly sped up weapon production and repair.
The invention of the sewing machine further revolutionized the textile industry, enabling the mass production of military uniforms and clothing. Henry Ford later adapted the assembly line concept for the automobile industry, famously implementing it in his Ford car factories.
Countries that successfully industrialized became major exporters of manufactured goods and demanded raw materials from other nations, creating a global trade network.
MODERN AUTOMATION
Contemporary production systems have undergone a significant shift, requiring less human labor. Advancements in technology, including computers, semiconductors, robots, and other innovations, have led to increasingly automated industries. Today, factories can operate with minimal human intervention, with a small number of workers managing control panels.
DEVELOPMENTS IN ARGENTINA
The Industrial Revolution significantly impacted Argentina’s economic structure. Traditional industries like salted meat production (TASAJO) and leather tanning evolved with the advent of refrigeration and other agro-industrial advancements. Argentina transitioned from a primary food supplier to Europe to a recipient of foreign investment. This investment focused on developing infrastructure, including railroads, roads, and ports, and establishing industries such as refrigeration, power plants, textiles, furniture manufacturing, sugar mills, and wineries.
Argentina’s industrialization was largely driven by its vast agricultural resources and landholdings, attracting investment in both technology and labor.
INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE
Lightweight Consumer Goods Industry: This sector encompasses industries producing consumer goods such as food, beverages, textiles, clothing, and simple machinery. These industries typically attract private investment, utilize relatively simple techniques, require low-wage labor, and offer fast returns on investment. Production scales are generally medium or small.
Heavy Industry: This sector includes industries involved in the production of capital goods, such as electrical machinery, metallurgy, electrochemistry, petrochemicals, and fuel. These industries are characterized by technical and organizational complexity, high investment per worker, large-scale production, and a long period between initial investment and profitability. The delayed return on investment can discourage potential investors seeking immediate gains.
TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE CAPITAL
: this item refer to an excellent road network by adding rail communications with the characteristic energy so that the large investor in this area is the state, that aims to speed up the economy for greater productivity throughout the economic system
this generates the states by not counting funds often resort to genuine international contingency generating a relationship of dependency Internacinal capital markets.