VISUALISATION OF THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE MACHINE TOOL SECTOR. TOWARDS INDUSTRY 4.0

Abstract

The digital interconnection of the machines through the Internet is generating the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). These "smart machines" are already transforming a wide variety of sectors, from manufacturing and agriculture to health and transport. This study aims to visualize and analyze the flows of technological knowledge leading to inventions that lead to industrial digitization with great impact on the value chain. Through the study of patents, we can observe how the technological advances characteristic of Industry 4.0 are contributing to generate new inventions in the Machine Tool sector. The sample, extracted from the European Patent Office's (EPO) global patent database, is comprised of all patent applications related to the 4IR and Machine Tool in the period 1990-2016. The study shows how in recent years the influence of 4IR on Machine Tools has grown exponentially, with industry 4.0 technologies related to hardware and data analysis and interpretation being the most cited in Machine Tool patents. American companies are the main contributors to the digitalization of the sector, followed closely by European companies, mainly German, and in the case of Chinese companies, the data indicate that their presence will increase considerably in the coming years. Keywords: Machine tool; Fourth Industrial Revolution; Industry 4.0; Patents; Technological knowledge flows