THE SPECIFICS OF APPLYING INDUSTRY 4.0 KNOWLEDGE IN THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND GERMANY

Robots are expected to displace about 20 million manufacturing jobs worldwide by 2030. Low-income jobs in developed countries will be the most impacted. The future of European industry will hinge on its ability to innovate, to invest in new technologies and continuously to adapt to changes resulting from wider digitalization and the transition to a low-carbon, circular economy. Industry 4.0 knowledge related to the automation of a beer can filling line in the Svijany brewery has been used as an example of the successful modernization of production, i.e. a case study also applicable to other industrial sectors in the Czech Republic and Germany. Czech beer is a great export commodity, a factor which contributed to Svijany Brewery's decision to invest in the latest automatic can filling technology. The objective of this article is to shed some light on the specifics and current options involved in the introduction of Industry 4.0 knowledge under the economic conditions existing in the Czech Republic and Germany.