Industry: what is it, objects, products, importance in the economy

Maintenance of vital activity of a human society at a modern level would be impossible without achievements of an industrial economy. This is the most important segment of the production of labor tools, raw materials and materials on which the world market is based. At the same time, there are many aspects that must be taken into account when defining the term "industry". What is an industry from the point of view of an ordinary person? At least a means of production, without which he does not present his life today. But there are also a lot of spheres of production that do not affect the life of certain groups of people. Therefore, this concept requires more detailed interpretation.

Definition of industry

In a broad sense, industry should be understood as one of the branches of the national economy. If we talk about its tasks, then the provision of production branches with technical means and materials that will allow maintaining the efficiency of enterprises will come to the fore. Manufacturing of goods for personal use is also an important part of production activity, which is covered by modern industry. What is industrial production from a technological point of view? This is a set of enterprises, provided with technical means and materials for the release of a product. At the same time, it is necessary to divide the processing and extractive industries of this economy. In the first case, enterprises dealing with the processing of raw materials or blanks already produced can be considered. In the second - directly mining activities are carried out. And far from always the processing objects at the output provide a product more ready for final use than the extractive ones.

Types of industries

Industry covers many industries from traditional mining to high-tech areas. To more habitual and classical it is possible to carry a woodworking, mining and food branch. In the twentieth century, in the rise against the background of intensive technological development, such spheres as metallurgy, machine building, power engineering, production of building materials, etc. went through. In this context, a ligament was consolidated, in which industry and production played a complementary role. The present stage is characterized by the development of specialized industries. These include the electric power industry, the chemical and microbiological industry, instrument making, and so on.

Many spheres can be divided on the grounds of light and heavy industry. The first group will include directions in which small-format products or products are produced - mainly for personal consumption. Enterprises from the second category produce machines, units, turbines, structures and raw materials in large quantities. These include the heavy engineering industry, which is closely related to metallurgy and metalworking. In fact, it is a small conglomerate of industries whose resources and capacities allow producing not only metal-rolling machines, but also high-tech equipment, materials for the research complex, and so on.

Finished products

More often than not, the industrial sector provides as a product only a stock for subsequent processing at highly specialized enterprises. This can be the same lumber, ore, coke, plastic, etc. That is, by the time of release, they are not a consumer-ready commodity. Nevertheless, in the same industrial sector there is a considerable percentage of enterprises that are completing the production cycle, releasing the final product. It can be cars, machine tools, building materials, glass and porcelain products, appliances, etc. A separate segment is the fuel and energy products of the industry, which means coal, oil, gas, and also some biomaterials. Generating energy in different types is also a kind of product that ensures the working capacity of the same industrial enterprises as the most demanding consumer. In this area, thermal, nuclear and hydrological stations are allocated.

Objects of industry

The concept of the object is also quite extensive. In this capacity, one can consider both the enterprises themselves (plants, factories, refineries, workshops, etc.), and components that form an industrial infrastructure within the same organization. From a technical point of view, the objects can be aggregates, conveyor lines, equipment and structures, through which the product is manufactured or processed. But more often machines, presses and conveyors determine only the capacity potential on which the enterprise of industry is based. What is the object of industrial economy in terms of construction? It can be a whole complex of structures, premises, workshops and hangars, in which diverse processes are realized. Again, to a separate category of objects of this kind can be attributed power generation stations. A hydroelectric power plant, for example, is a capital structure, the result of which is transported through power lines.

Impact on the economy

The development of the economy of the modern state directly reflects the state of the industrial sector. And experts treat the most influential sectors as power engineering, machine building and chemical industry. Both quantitative and qualitative indicators of products produced by such enterprises characterize, in turn, their competitiveness under market conditions - accordingly, this affects productivity and the economy. Of course, the importance of industry for a particular economy can be negative. This mainly applies to industries with a bias toward the commodity sector. As a rule, they are characterized by a low level of technical base and modest production facilities.

The future of industry

Like construction, the industry vividly reflects the advantages that modern technologies give. The introduction of new ideas and solutions helps to increase productivity, optimize logistics processes and reduce costs. Already in the near future, technologists predict a full-scale transition of most enterprises to computer-automated operations management. Thus, heavy engineering can fully switch to robotic maintenance of conveyor lines, and power stations will receive systems for intellectual control over transportation, distribution and conversion of energy.

Conclusion

Despite the intensive development in different sectors and directions, there are many factors that restrain this growth. These include the problems of environmental safety and lack of finance. After all, what is industry in the modern sense? It is compulsory competitive, safe and viable in the market enterprise, which is able to provide the consumer with a quality product. Accordingly, it should not harm the environment, look for opportunities for using alternative technological solutions and, of course, cope with the excess of costs, which are also caused by the transition to new technical means.