Every productive process has its starting point in heavy industry, the area of the primary economic sector where raw materials are exploited and collected to be manufactured or converted into semi-finished goods.
Heavy industry is a productive sector that encompasses activities focused on extraction processes (using enormous machinery for this task) and the subsequent transformation, on a primary scale, of a wide range of raw materials. In this area, which generally constitutes the starting point of the production chain , essential inputs are manufactured for the supply of multiple types of industry.
It should be noted that in order to promote and sustain a heavy industry , considerable investments in labor, raw materials, water, energy and money must be made. Nor should we lose sight of the importance of knowing the environmental regulations in force in each nation. It is essential that measures are implemented (and enforced) in order to minimize ecological damage and environmental impact derived from industrial businesses. In this regard, it is worth highlighting that, given the high percentage of environmental pollution it causes (according to certain statistics, if the global proportion of greenhouse gas emissions is analyzed, more than 22 percent is attributed to the industry). heavy), these activities cannot be carried out in residential areas or urban areas.
Types of heavy industry
Heavy industry is segmented into different types depending on the industry, locations, processes that they demand, etc.
The sectors of both steel and metallurgy , as well as the chemical industry and the cement industry , are classified as heavy industry .
The ceramics industry , the glass industry and the energy industry are even positioned in this group. Likewise, the construction industry and the automotive industry , the field focused on oil refining and petrochemicals, gain visibility.
The mining industry and the aerospace industry are other examples to take into account.
Heavy industry is present in the steel sector but also in extractive, cement and chemical activities.
Differences with light industry
Heavy industry has numerous differences from light industry .
According to experts in both sectors, the first is framed, economically speaking, in the primary sector , while light industry is associated with the so-called secondary sector.
While heavy industry uses elements existing in nature to work (as we noted above, its strengths are the extraction and processing of natural resources) and leave them available for other productive lands, light industry is dedicated to develop products using semi-finished raw materials and create goods for the final consumer.
There are also discrepancies between the two regarding environmental impacts and resource requirements: the demand for instruments to activate heavy industry (a very polluting field) is high and what the light industry production system needs to deploy is lower, which does not have such a negative impact on the planet either.
Furthermore, it is difficult for heavy industry to obtain national inputs capable of replacing imported ones, but light industry does manage to overcome this type of obstacles with solutions that arise at the local level.
The metallurgical sector encompasses techniques and actions aimed at the extraction and transformation of metals that are contained in minerals.
Characteristics, scope and challenges of heavy industry
Below we will list characteristics, scope and challenges of heavy industry with the aim of providing interesting data about it and allowing more and more people to understand what and how this productive sector is.
It is worth noting, for example, that technological innovation , industrial automation and robotics greatly benefit and modernize all activities defined as heavy industry . Looking closely at the emerging industry and adapting to the new in the best way mark the path that leads to discoveries, improvements and commercial flourishing.
Investing in caring for the planet is also essential in order to demonstrate corporate social responsibility , ensure energy efficiency , adopt an appropriate recycling and waste management system and take advantage of the benefits of so-called clean technologies .
On the other hand, it is essential to consider commercial and economic issues that contribute to the development of these dynamics. We must aspire, in this context, to competitiveness and business strategies that promote growth.
Of course, logistics and supply chains must be solid and financing and an industrial policy that promote sustainable development must exist in each national territory.
Beyond aspects linked to the evolution and expansion of heavy industry , analyzing export and import issues or focusing attention on how the market is changing with mergers and acquisitions , the labor panorama cannot be overlooked. As in the rest of the areas, there must be conversations, negotiations and agreements on the part of each State, the unions and the companies regarding industrial employment , especially on salaries and working conditions . Job training spaces must be provided, job security provided and professional training stimulated so that there are increasingly more and better prepared personnel to work in a company or in a heavy industry project.