Terms such as the "Internet of Things", "Cyber-physical Systems" or "Industry 4.0" refer to different aspects of a new industrial revolution that is well underway. The first industrial revolution began about 250 years ago in the Western world and it changed society for good - for better or worse. The result of the new industrial revolution will change the industrial landscape beyond recognition. The all pervasive connectivity of the Internet of Things, for instance, will make current industry segments disappear. Whether this will lead to a renewed and all-inclusive humanism or to a 1984-style control scenario is up to us. Historically, the Renaissance in Western Europe towards the end of the 14th century presents a technological and social watershed with surprisingly similar patterns.