Industry 5.0: A Primer

Since what seems like time immemorial, we have been espousing the benefits of industry 4.0 – the augmenting of machines and devices with connected technology which makes them more productive and efficient through the harvesting and analysis of actionable data and the ability to communicate with operators and one another during the manufacturing process.

However, all good things must come to an end. Well, not technically an end, but an evolution into the next stage of its journey. Industry 4.0 is now transforming into Industry 5.0 and the manufacturing industry needs to be ready to meet it head on and adapt to new practices.

Whilst Industry 5.0 is still very much in its nascent stages, we thought it an opportune moment to present you with a primer on the defining features of this latest stage in manufacturing evolution and what to expect over the coming years.

What is Industry 5.0?

Industry 5.0 builds on the developments we’ve seen during the lifespan of Industry 4.0 and takes them even further to have flesh and blood human beings working alongside advanced technology and AI powered robotics. The goal of Industry 5.0 is to enhance workplace processes with a focus on human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience against disruption – such as that seen during the recent global COVID-19 crisis.

"Industry 5.0 does not so much represent yet another Industrial Revolution but rather serves to augment Industry 4.0 technologies by strengthening the collaboration between humans and robots,” says SAP. "With Industry 5.0, the nine pillars of Industry 4.0 are expanded upon by a drive to place human creativity and well-being at the center of industry – to merge the speed and efficiency of machine technologies with the ingenuity and talent of human counterparts.”

A Symbiotic Ecosystem

Whilst many industry commentators have been claiming for years that "the robots are coming for our jobs,” this is not the goal of Industry 5.0. Instead, Industry 5.0 seeks to reap the benefits of human operators and robotic equivalents whilst counteracting the drawbacks inherent in each.

By combining human intelligence and subjectivity with the efficiency, artificial intelligence, calculating power, and precision of industrial machinery, a symbiotic relationship is created between human workers and robots which can better meet operational goals, whilst also prioritizing overarching societal needs.

"The evolution of the industrial revolution has driven transformative developments in all subsystems of society,” reports the Journal of Manufacturing Systems in its review of the Industry 5.0 literature. "However, with the introduction of new social development concepts such as sustainability, human-centricity, and carbon emissions, the manufacturing system/paradigm has struggled to adapt to the demands of an innovative society. Industry 5.0, with its refreshing vision, will help solve the problem of the mismatch between manufacturing and social needs.”

Ongoing Development

As previously mentioned, Industry 5.0 is still in its early stages of development and will require a concentrated effort from global powers to bring it to effective fruition. In the aforementioned literature review, the Journal of Manufacturing Systems, "[…] current exploration of Industry 5.0 is still at its initial stage, and research findings are relatively scarce and less systematic.

Many countries are already way ahead of the US in this regard and this nation needs to get on board or risk being left behind to remain competitive as a global manufacturing power. For example, the European Union already has an action plan for Industry 5.0 implementation which covers four key elements:

• Adopting a human-centric approach for digital technologies including artificial intelligence (Proposal for AI regulation)
• Up-skilling and re-skilling European workers, particularly digital skills (Skills Agenda and Digital Education Action plan)
• Modern, resource-efficient, and sustainable industries and transition to a circular economy (Green Deal)
• A globally competitive and world-leading industry, speeding up investment in research and innovation (Industrial Strategy)

Moreover, the EU recently established an Industry of the Future award which recognizes projects that make an outstanding contribution to building a more human-centric, sustainable and resilient industry amongst member nations, and hosted an Industry 5.0 roundtable which saw many stakeholders in the manufacturing industry come together to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by the evolution.

"The roundtable on Industry 5.0 which was held on the 27 April 2022 brought together industrial leaders from major European companies and SMEs, as well as representatives from trade unions and other stakeholders,” said the European Commission. "Participants discussed how to advance Industry 5.0 implementation, and what would be framework conditions favorable to its take-up. They covered finance, governance, metrics, and inclusivity.”

Final Thoughts

Industry 5.0 is here, and US manufacturing would do well to stand up and pay attention. With many other nations already making roads in this area, the need to keep in lock step with them is only going to become more important for the US as time progresses.

Industry 5.0 is sure to be part of the conversation at Connected Manufacturing Forum 2023, being held in June at the Westin Buckhead Atlanta.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.