The paradox of the consumer economy as a source of financing for investments in the development of Industry 4.0/5.0

The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between consumption and investment in the context of digital transformation and identify possible factors affecting the investment climate and their trends; to demonstrate the essence of the paradox of the consumer economy as a source of Industry 4.0/5.0 development and to determine the further focus of case studies. The methodology of the research: The basis of the study was the method of statistical analysis of time series of corresponding indicators of the economy of the Russian Federation, followed by economic and mathematical modeling using correlation, regression models and analysis of variance. The results of the research: The chains of growth of household final consumption expenditures in connection with income growth (average monthly nominal accrued wages) were calculated, and it was shown that, in turn, consumption growth stimulates the flow of the investments into fixed assets, which multiplicatively increases the gross domestic product. Originality and contribution of the authors: based on an analytical calculation for the period 1999–2023, the paradox of the consumer economy with the development of Industry 4.0/5.0 was presented. The consumption of goods and services, contributing to the development of the economy and increasing the incomes of enterprises, can simultaneously have a negative impact on savings and investments. It was revealed that intensive consumption is a source of income for companies and allows them to invest in the digital development of innovations, but it can also lead to insufficient savings for investments in the future, especially in conditions of inflation and crises. Modeling of macroeconomic processes revealed the dynamics and allowed to compare changes in the studied indicators, which led to the following conclusions: The effective use of income from consumption as a source of investment financing allows companies to successfully innovate and contributes to the creation of competitive advantages and sustainable economic development. The paradox of the consumer economy can become not only a problem of excessive consumption, but also a real opportunity for the development of Industry 4.0/5.0. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to find a balance between consumption and investment, and companies must actively innovate and improve their activities in order to remain competitive in the market and increase demand for their products and services. This thesis will form the content of the authors' further research in this direction.