Figure 5. The offshoring stage from Europe to Asia at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries and the onshoring stage in the second decade of the 21st century
EUROPE
ASIA
High labour costs countries
•
• Low labour costs countries
Implementation of Industry 4.0
•
• No implementation of Industry 4.0
Short series production
•
• Mass production
Short and flexible supply chains to regional customers
•
• Long and complex supply chains to customers on other continents
Small networked manufacturers
•
• Large, traditionally organised manufacturers
Source: Own study based on (Wahlster 2018, p. 15).
consistently subject to restrictions related to the application of standards resulting from environmental, energy and climate policy, European consumers will enjoy access to more products that meet the requirements of the circular economy. Europeans and Americans are and will remain the richest consumers worldwide for decades to come, hence it is in the North Atlantic basin that a significant reduction in waste production should occur as soon as possible vis-à-vis the manufacturing of finished goods. The demographic challenges are also becoming increasingly better recognised. The archipelago of entities operating in accordance with the concept of Firm-Idea will increasingly feel the challenges associated with the ageing European nations, including Poland, and the need to manage the process of assimilation of immigrants from various regions of the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. An important test of the Europeans’ capacity to accept newcomers will be the position of the European Union authorities elected in 2019. Two options deserve special attention. The first one corresponds to a programme according to which “our immigration policy reflects the values that we uphold in European culture, including Christian culture.” The other assents to growing populism and
The Concept of Firm-Idea in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
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