On the Role of Clusters in Fostering the Industry 4.0

This chapter focuses on the junction of space and technology, place and context, on the one hand; and modern industrial systems, on the other hand; as well as the relevance of clusters and Industry 4.0. The authors will first briefly present the basics of cluster, as well as the fourth industrial revolution concepts. Then, the authors will speculate about the possible contribution of clusters to the development of Industry 4.0. This chapter demonstrates that the mechanisms and functionalities provided by clusters seem to be well aligned with the features of modern manufacturing, the industrial Internet and the integrated industry. Hence, it is reasonable to claim that clusters and Industry 4.0 are compatible, not contradictory, terms.