Industry and Industrial Change

Europe needs a sustainable industrial policy promoting a fair transition towards a low carbon economy. In this respect, innovation, investment and training are key. New concepts such as Industry 4.0 and Artificial Intelligence bring with them challenges and opportunities that must be addressed. As the representative of European civil society, the EESC has made sure that it is at the forefront of this debate.

Dealing with industrial change is one of the key challenges of the 21^st century. Ongoing economic and social development is taking place in all fields of activity, often linked to the impact of the digital revolution, energy transition and globalisation. Both traditional sectors – such as heavy manufacturing – and emerging sectors in greener and knowledge-based industries will need to develop a proactive approach, anticipating, adapting to and managing change with new sustainable technologies and new jobs and re-skilling matching the challenges of Industry 4.0.