Current Trends in the Development of Socio-Economic Systems

Abstract

The paper studies the content and spheres of application of the terms "trend" and "tendency " in the development of socio-economic systems. The definitions of these terms are formulated. In a broad sense, the trend should be considered as a relatively sustainable direction for the development of a particular phenomenon. In economic systems, this direction is realized through dynamics: the totality of relationships (between individual parts of systems), properties (inherent in systems), indicators of income and costs, supply and demand, signs of consumer needs and preferences of users, parameters of technological basis, etc. Classification traits and mutual relations of different types of trends are defined, including meta trend, megatrend, socio-cultural trend, consumption trend, and business trend. The criterion basis for referring to a particular type of trend is the dimensions (conditional areas) that are affected by the trend. These dimensions include product, market, socio-cultural, economic, technological, civilizational, natural. The processes of trend evolution are shown. In particular, the consumption trend (which covers the product, market, and socio-cultural dimensions) can develop into a socio-cultural trend (which in addition covers the economic dimension). The latest trend can evolve into a megatrend (which includes the impact on technological dimension). When megatrends also begin to influence civilizational and natural dimensions, they evolve into meta trends. Such a path, in particular, has passed the megatrends: industrialization, electrification, automotive, computerization, digitization, etc. Today, this is followed by megatrends: alternative energy, additive technologies, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, cyber-physical systems, cloud technologies, industrial agro-production, and others. It is noted that humanity is currently experiencing an epochal trend of a phase transition to a new socio-economic formation, which is being implemented during three industrial revolutions: the Industries 3.0; 4.0; 5.0. Keywords: trend, tendency, megatrend, meta trend, socio-economic system, development, transformation, phase transition, the industrial revolution, civilization, future.