Socio-Economic Determinants of Industrial Automation

The article examines the relationship between socio-economic development and a new wave of industrial automation using the examples of Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, the United States, Germany and India. A correlation analysis of industrial robotization rates and the dynamics of demographic change, unemployment, industrial value added, and investment in research and development is conducted, identifying the background and leading socio-economic determinants of industrial automation. The study concludes that demographic dynamics exert a background influence on the pace of industrial automation at the current stage. The potential for human capital formation in industrialized countries with natural population growth is becoming a benchmark for investment in research and development. However, changes in the age structure of the population show only a weak to moderate correlation with the pace of industrial robot installations. The revival of industrial automation in the second decade of the 21st century across countries at different stages of demographic transition highlights the leading role of other factors. These include the potential to increase industrial value added and the overall availability of labor, which determine the effectiveness of investments in industrial robotization. Based on this conclusion, a forecast is made regarding the emergence of an institutional factor, whose growing importance will likely slow the pace of investment in industrial automation.