The new sociopolitical and economic dynamics of digitalisation and automation in Romania's automotive industry

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterised by the convergence of digital, biological, and physical innovations, is fundamentally transforming industries, economies, and the very fabric of society. This study focusses on the Romanian automotive industry - a sector at the forefront of technological disruption, examining the impact of digitalisation and automation (D&A) on the labour market and the broader societal implications. First, this research examines the perceptions and experiences of employees and trade union representatives within this industry, addressing critical issues such as changes in working conditions, job security, workload, and workplace safety. Second, this study discusses how these firm-level changes in D&A inform the emerging political economy of digitalisation in Romania, with a special emphasis on the ongoing debate between liberalism and statism. The research is based on the analysis of secondary sources, as well as the analysis and interpretation of valuable primary data collected through the semi-structured interview method, explored in depth with the help of latent content analysis. The findings of this study indicate a predominantly positive perception of D&A implementation, but are accompanied by several challenges, especially changes in working conditions and the nature of managerial work. Findings offer insights into the intersection of technological progress and sociopolitical dynamics and highlight the need for innovative, well-targeted public policies to manage these transformations, such as industrial, labour market, and continuing education policies, also inviting us to imagine a new social economy of advanced technological progress in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.