The article provides a comparative analysis of the implementation features of the "Industry 4.0." doctrine in the countries which are now leading the way in technological development. The author identifies the unique characteristic features as well as those that are common for these countries, which allows him to highlight the technological component of changes in modern industry and economy, the latter being the focal point of the changes. This experience and the ongoing research within the framework of “Industry 4.0.” are useful for the Russian economy, where the problem of overcoming technological lag and creating a new regime of innovative dynamics, providing economic growth of a new quality, is acute. Using comparative methods according to the introduced criteria, as well as the analysis of preliminary results of numerous studies devoted to the deployment of “industry 4.0.”, together with some elements of econometric modeling and regression analysis, the author draws the conclusion that technological changes in Russian economy occurred while reducing the number of innovative agents and firms, characterized by a relatively low and unstable level of manufacturability in the basic sectors of the economy.