Připravenost rozvíjejících se zemí na čtvrtou průmyslovou revoluci

The Master’s Thesis analyses the readiness of developing countries for the 4th Industrial Revolution. The primary aim of the thesis is to assess the potential of technological leapfrogging within the Fourth Industrial Revolution among selected countries – Malaysia, Jordan, and South Africa. The hypothesis suggests that those developing countries that are getting ready for Industry 4.0 have the potential for technological leapfrogging as well. The thesis is divided into three chapters. The first, theoretical chapter, is devoted to an introduction of relevant theories of technological leapfrogging and catching-up as studied by Schumpeterian economists who were the first to propose the leapfrogging concept. The second chapter takes a closer look at the 4th Industrial Revolution in general. Finally, Chapter 3 represents the central empirical part of the thesis and covers three case studies of selected countries upon which the leading theoretical concepts are analysed. The selection is based on a statistical analysis including Z-Score assessment. The thesis concludes that all three countries studied are getting ready for Industry 4.0, and often implement measures coherent with theoretical indicators suggesting the potential for technological leapfrogging in the future.