Economy 4.0 and the COVID-19 Pandemic : A Review of Research

Technological development impacts employment conditions by changing the production capabilities of modern enterprises, the shape of modern consumption trends, and factors determining the company's competitiveness. Recently, one significant factor affecting technological development was the COVID-19 pandemic, which subsequently demanded social isolation. This collective work is an attempt to answer the following questions: • Did the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to accelerating the process of implementing innovative solutions as part of Industry 4.0? • To what extent did the COVID-19 pandemic influence changes in employment relations, taking into account the implemented technological innovations? • Did the presented research results indicate a link between the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in democratic processes? In addition, this work explores some transformations in the forms and language of media communication as well as in consumer behavior that have occurred in light of feelings uncertainty and anxiety during the pandemic.