Industry 5.0: a reality check for Industry 4.0

Doesn't it feel like only yesterday we were talking about Industry 4.0 as something futuristic in production processes?

The term was first heard in Hannover in 2011. It described an industry in which processes and machines would be digitally interconnected, reaching the so-called smart factory. A decade later we talk about Industry 5.0, which aims to adapt to the needs of today's industry and society.

During Industry 4.0 we saw the strong development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the joint work of artificial intelligence and Big Data: technologies that have given companies broad data-based knowledge. In this phase, automation was prioritised over human intervention and, to some extent, people were made to compete with the machine, displacing them from production processes.

Industry 5.0 lays the foundations for a machine-human balance, seeking more efficient, flexible and sustainable production.

What goals does Industry 5.0 bring?

Compared with its predecessor, it sets out three main goals:

Greater process efficiency

Collaboration between people and machines refines decision-making: more efficient processes and fewer resources to obtain more. This is where collaborative robots come in, designed to interact with people, observe a task and replicate it. The result is human empowerment: mechanical, dangerous or routine tasks are delegated to the machine, and people are left with those that only judgement can carry out.

Sustainability

This model places environmental protection among its priorities. The sustainable policies society demands push processes to generate the minimum waste and manage it optimally.

Personalisation

It allows differentiated products and services to be offered for each customer. Today we have an almost infinite range of products; the step Industry 5.0 seeks is to adapt them to individual needs quickly and efficiently, something complex in processes that still lack the necessary flexibility.

It's clear that the 5.0 factory will require more qualified staff. That's why good training in areas such as robotics or artificial intelligence is today a great avenue for professional growth.

Are you ready for this new model of industry?