With sizable gains to be had for both consumers and businesses, we could be embarking on a sixth wave of innovation, fueled by smarter connected products and machines working to reduce waste, create new efficiency and power entirely new business models.
There will without doubt be improvements in the efficiency of the economy - more output from less electricity through better machines or ways of doing things or better materials.
The industrial revolution placed a premium on worker efficiency and productivity and those who were able to successfully overcome the deficiency of their machines.