https://medium.com/@alasdair.gilchrist/a-beginners-guide-to-industry-4-0-594da2eddfb4

Industry 4.0’s provenance lies in the powerhouse of German manufacturing. However, the conceptual idea has since been widely adopted by other industrial nations within the European Union, and further afield in China, India and amongst other Asian countries. The name Industry 4.0 refers to the 4th industrial revolution, with the first three coming about through mechanization, electricity and later IT.

The 4th industrial revolution, and hence the 4.0 will come about via the internet of things and the internet of services becoming integrated with the manufacturing environment. However, all the benefits of previous revolutions in Industry came about after the fact, whereas with the 4th revolution we have a chance to proactively guide the way it transforms our world.