STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INDUSTRY 4.0 TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

Topicality. The digitalization of the economy in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution fundamentally changes the logic of the functioning of economic systems. Industry 4.0 encompasses a range of breakthrough technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, cloud computing, 3D printing, big data, and robotics, which not only modernize production but also transform value creation processes, labor organization, consumption, and governance. This creates a need for scientific reflection on these processes, taking into account economic, social, and institutional aspects. Existing theoretical models do not fully explain the new patterns of economic development under conditions of digital transformation, which necessitates research into the mechanisms of structural change. Aim and tasks. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the mechanisms and forms of structural transformation of the economic system under the influence of the core technologies of Industry 4.0. In particular, the study examines how digital and autonomous solutions change the nature of production, distribution, consumption, and management. Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the study is a set of scientific approaches. The systems approach made it possible to consider digital technologies as a unified architectonics of a transformation model. Structural and logical analysis was used to identify the key directions of change: what is produced, how it is produced, and for whom. Comparative analysis was applied to contrast the classical “push economy” model with the modern “pull economy,” as well as human-centered and automated management solutions. Research results. The study established that the widespread implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies leads to systemic changes in the key parameters of the functioning of the economic system, namely the transformation of the coordinates “what to produce,” “how to produce,” and “for whom to produce.” It is proven that the integration of artificial intelligence, additive technologies (3D printing), and big data forms a model of customized, autonomous, and localized production, which is accompanied by a shortening of value chains and an increase in the flexibility of production processes. It is substantiated that blockchain technologically ensures a reduction in transaction costs and the decentralization of coordination mechanisms, while robotics drives productivity growth, and cloud computing and the Internet of Things ensure the rapid synchronization of production with real demand and enhance the adaptability of economic systems. Conclusion. The generalization of the obtained results allows us to assert that Industry 4.0 technologies form a qualitatively new architecture of the economic system, manifested in the transition from an extensive to an intensive model of economic growth, from a “push” to a “pull” logic of economic functioning, from mass to customized production, and from centralized to decentralized data management models. The identified shifts indicate the transformation not only of individual production or management processes but of the holistic structure of the economic system under the influence of digital technologies.