ESG Investment, German Industrie 4.0, and Blockchain

The purpose of this book is to connect the three domains of (1) ESG investment, (2) Industrie 4.0, and (3) blockchain technology through the common concept of “data,” and to illustrate how these elements are transforming modern industrial structures and corporate governance. The book is organized into four parts, introducing the key concepts and theoretical models necessary for understanding its structure. First, the chapter reinterprets ESG investment through the lens of Max Weber’s ethics, positioning environmental, social, and governance factors not merely as indicators but as essential “information” that shapes corporate decision-making. It also examines the differences between ESG and SRI (using Euler and Venn diagrams), addresses the challenges of greenwashing and possible countermeasures, and discusses how pension systems incorporate future value. Next, using the automotive industry as an example, the chapter explains how Industrie 4.0, the IoT, and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are reshaping production processes and governance structures. A key point here is the shift from a traditional understanding of corporate value—once perceived in a “reified” form—to a society in which such value is increasingly visualized and assessed through data. By applying frameworks such as Porter’s Value Chain and Stan Shih’s Smiling Curve, the chapter analyzes the datafication of corporate behavior and its implications. Furthermore, the chapter explores how the development of blockchain technology contributes to rebuilding trust, advancing decentralized governance, and enhancing transparency. This reflects a transition from an economy centered on production to one in which the “design of exchange” plays a central role in determining value. Finally, the chapter employs interdisciplinary models—such as the Stakeholder Matrix, the St. Gallen Management Model, POW and POS, Hegelian dialectics, and Popper’s Three Worlds—to show how these three domains interact and complement one another as society moves, often unconsciously, toward a more sustainable economic model. Blockchain technology, in particular, serves as a key to understanding this transition, offering insights into how forms of exchange rooted in capitalist “reification” or “fetishism” are being reshaped.