The First Industrial Revolution was about mechanization through the use of steam and water power.

The discovery of electricity ushered in the Second Industrial Revolution with mass production.

In the Third Industrial Revolution, the advent of computer digitization propelled the manufacturing world forward with automation and electronic and IT systems.

As the manufacturing world becomes increasingly computerized and digitized, the emergence of IoT, more powerful sensors and lowered costs of networks begin to define the Fourth Industrial Revolution with connected cyber-physical systems. Industry 4.0 is a technical articulation of how this revolution can be realized.

That said, the year of 2019 is helmed by the familiar major Industry 4.0 events such as the Hannover Messe which has attracted close to 250,000 visitors and 6,500 exhibitors in the past years. In Asia, China and Taiwan, both high-end manufacturing trailblazers, also host the highly visited CIEX 2019, SPS-Industrial Automation Fair and the Taipei International Industrial Automation Exhibition.