Interview: Technological innovation sparks new industrial revolution, says expert

Technological innovations have sparked a new industrial revolution, and people need to keep up with these developments to understand both opportunities and challenges they pose, according to a leading Spanish academic and advisor.

Alberto Andreu, an associate professor with University of Navarra School of Economics and Business Administration based in Pamplona, Spain, shared his opinions with Xinhua on Saturday about the fast pace of technological transformations.

"The digital revolution is already disrupting all industries and all sectors, starting with the sector of media and the sector of culture, and it will finally take us to the sector of employment," said Andreu.

The Spanish expert was in the Peruvian capital over the weekend to attend a United Nations Global Compact business forum on promoting sustainability and corporate responsibility.

Changes are happening so steadily and fast all over the world, and at the same time it is impossible to measure its impact on human activities, he said.

Yet, "innovation is the lever for the future," he said. "The digital and industrial revolution we are in is going to transform the world much more rapidly than we are capable of grasping."

One clear example, he said, is the prevalence of smart phones, used by people around the globe, regardless of their social or economic backgrounds.

With a smartphone, "a citizen in some way has power in his hands," as it makes it easier to get work done, to communicate and to connect with people across the world, in a way that was never available.

"He has the power to make a purchase, to denounce someone, to connect socially, to post content, to share content and, as a result, innovation is becoming the motor of future development," said Andreu.

In this sense, technology has empowered users, but the rise of automation, especially the growing use of robots in different areas of production, could present the society with one of its biggest challenges, said Andreu.

"Innovation and artificial intelligence are going to generate enormous opportunities, but we have to be aware of the scope and limits of the technological revolution to be able to make rational use of these new resources," he noted. Endi