The sectoral system framework has been adopted to study innovation and industrial dynamics in a wide range of sectors. However, recent development of the so-called “fourth industrial revolution” technologies, such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, additive manufacturing, advanced robotics, Internet of Things, smartphones, and autonomous vehicles, has been blurring the boundaries of existing sectors, bringing both opportunities and challenges for sectoral systems research. In this introductory essay, we first provide a quick review on the sectoral systems of innovation literature, clarifying some conceptual and methodological issues. Then, we discuss how the fourth industrial revolution might reshape sectoral systems along three different dimensions (i.e. technological, market, and policy dimensions). Finally, we introduce articles in this special section and call for future research on this intriguing topic.

中文翻译：

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第四次工业革命时代的部门创新体系：专区介绍

部门系统框架已被用于研究广泛部门的创新和产业动态。然而，最近人工智能、云计算、增材制造、先进机器人、物联网、智能手机、自动驾驶汽车等所谓“第四次工业革命”技术的发展，已经模糊了现有行业的界限，带来部门系统研究的机遇和挑战。在这篇介绍性文章中，我们首先对创新文献的部门系统进行了快速回顾，澄清了一些概念和方法论问题。然后，我们讨论第四次工业革命如何从三个不同的维度（即技术、市场和政策维度）重塑部门体系。最后，