Amazon, Google and the Manufacturing Sector Industry 4.0 as a New Battlefield for Intellectual Monopoly Companies

The literature has discussed the intellectual monopoly power of big tech companies in the services sectors but it still did not catch the potential impact of these big tech companies on the manufacturing sector. The article develops an original contribution by analysing the potential impact of big tech companies which cater not only to the needs of consumers but also to those of businesses, through cloud platforms and direct investment in manufacturing activities. From the analysis of Amazon and Google, the article shows that these platforms increasingly target the manufacturing sector, by patenting more innovations in the field of “Industry 4.0”, by creating or acquiring companies in the field and by offering them cloud services. It concludes by discussing the specificities, consequences and research perspectives associated to the development of these “pansectoral intellectual monopolies”.JEL classification: L12, L16, L22, L60, O34, P12.