What does Industry 5.0 hold for Manufacturing Transformation?
More than a decade ago, the research community embarked on a journey to realize the old vision of Industry 4.0. Part of this vision was to digitize design and manufacturing systems and processes, aimed at advancing their vertical and horizontal integration into decentralized ecosystems across the entire product development value chain. This process was to include the provision of new data-driven operation and business models, advances in cybersecurity, and the development of a bespoke Industry 4.0 workforce. However, critical environmental issues, inherent inequitable prosperity, and yet to be realized integration of ecosystems exposed shortcomings of Industry 4.0 as a technological initiative and upgraded it to a new initiative, Industry 5.0.
Understanding Industry 5.0
Industry 5.0, although you might find it under different names such as “value-added initiative” or “twin-transition,” nests Industry 4.0 in a broader context for people-planet-prosperity. In general, it connects digital transformation with sustainability and climate action, focused on human progress and well-being, based on reducing and shifting consumption to new forms of sustainable, circular, and regenerative economic value creation and equitable prosperity. In manufacturing, it signifies a departure from conventional manufacturing paradigms, emphasizing the fusion of human creativity and technological prowess.
Industry 5.0 rests on three dimensions. The first dimension encompasses the regenerative features of industrial transformation, aiming not merely to embrace the circular economy and positive restorative feedback loops, but to integrate them as fundamental pillars in the design of entire value chains. Following this, an inherently social dimension emerges, urging attention towards the well-being of workers, the imperative of social inclusion, and the adoption of technologies that augment human capabilities rather than replacing them whenever feasible. And crucially, a mandatory environmental dimension underpins these efforts, advocating for transformation that eradicates the reliance on fossil fuels, champions energy efficiency, embraces nature-based solutions, rejuvenates carbon sinks, restores biodiversity, and fosters new paradigms of coexistence with natural systems. Additionally, Industry 5.0 inherently supports design and performance dimensions, facilitating the measurement of performance and efficiency throughout the twin transition.
Principles and Cutting-Edge Technologies of Industry 5.0
Agility
Responsive, nimble, high-velocity, adaptive, preemptive, customer-centric, or fail-safe, are just a few of the terms associated with agility. Nevertheless, it entails maximizing responsiveness to market dynamics and unforeseen events, thereby enhancing adaptability to disruptions, all while striking a balance with efficiency. While technologies encompassed within Industry 4.0, such as Smart Factory Solutions, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Platforms, Integrated Systems Platforms, Lean Manufacturing Principles, Agile Project Methodology, Digital Management Operating Systems (D-MOS), and Advanced Planning Systems, excel at enhancing agility while preserving efficiency gains, they prove inadequate when confronted with disturbances and uncertainty. There is a need for novel technologies necessitating resilient networks and fail-safe systems with positive restorative loops capable of withstanding disruptions leading to enhanced resilience, even when faced with challenges involving small datasets and uncertain events.
Inter-operability-connectivity-relations
Interrelations are crucial in establishing a holistic perspective across corporate, sectoral, and national levels, where stakeholders communicate horizontally through various platforms. However, challenges abound, ranging from the increased complexity of dynamic and highly interconnected networks to the need for data transmission, storage, and analysis technologies capable of handling data and system interoperability. Furthermore, Industry 5.0 practices inherently promote the efficient use of resources and waste reduction, contributing to environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Sustainability is central to Industry 5.0, with models for circular economy playing a pivotal role in ensuring the longevity and resilience of manufacturing processes. By developing quality assurance mechanisms for digital twins across the product lifecycle, manufacturers can embrace circularity principles, minimize waste, and maximize resource efficiency, driving both environmental stewardship and economic viability.
System & Human-Cyber-Physical View
Transitioning towards a sustainable and circular economic system requires a systemic view of industry, emphasizing the integration of human expertise with cyber-physical systems. This transformation demands a fundamental redesign of business models, economic approaches, and value chains, integrating new technology possibilities, sustainability principles, and regenerative practices. Technologies like Design Engineering 4.0 offer regenerative and human-centered solutions prioritizing user preferences and interactions, enhancing usability and integration into manufacturing workflows, while the Industrial Metaverse introduces virtual replicas of industrial facilities and augmented reality for maintenance tasks, enhancing collaboration and training. Industry 5.0 advocates for the integration of collaborative robotics, where humans and robots work together in close proximity, each contributing their unique strengths to the production process. Collaborative robots, or cobots, excel in tasks that require precision, speed, and repeatability, while humans provide critical decision-making, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. In parallel, initiatives like Learning Factories as ‘living labs’ can guide SMEs towards sustainable practices through tailored educational frameworks, empowering the workforce with interdisciplinary skills to drive innovation within their organizations.
Implications for the Manufacturing Sector
To succeed in the long term, companies must prioritize holistic strategies for Industry 4.0-compliant Production Engineering ecosystems over short-term gains. Despite risks, circularity initiatives can enhance resilience to disruptions like Covid-19, enabling enterprises to adapt to changing conditions. Novel technologies as fail-safe systems with positive restorative loops and methods for managing uncertainty emphasize agile responses to market dynamics, empowering manufacturers to anticipate trends, optimize inventory, and deliver personalized products. Embracing Industry 5.0 not only positions manufacturing firms for global competitiveness but also fosters sustainable growth in an increasingly interconnected world. By leveraging human expertise and advanced technologies, companies can innovate quickly, respond adeptly to market changes, deliver tailored products, and promote environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility. This imperative is underscored by pressing environmental challenges such as pollution, food and water shortages, and urban planning for climate action, which necessitate the development of new technologies for energy efficiency, renewables, and autonomy. Building adaptive models and resilience to climate threats thus becomes essential alongside technological advancements.
Challenges and Considerations
The path of twin transition is paved with challenges from social heterogeneity in values and acceptance, measuring environmental and social value generation, to integrating customers across entire value chains. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary nature of research disciplines and system complexity present additional hurdles, requiring an ecosystem-oriented innovation policy with an agile, outcome-oriented approach. Substantial investments are needed, where computational power will be accessible to research and development institutions beyond large corporations like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Additionally, as the skill gap widens due to intergenerational differences and market concentration among developers, joint efforts between academia and industry are essential to prevent social strife from job losses due to automation. This necessitates a transformed education system, worker retraining, and bespoke apprenticeship programs as a joint effort between industry and academia. Regulatory compliance and ethical considerations, particularly regarding data privacy and security, are paramount, necessitating a thorough understanding of regulatory landscapes and upholding ethical standards to build trust with stakeholders. Moreover, technological integration and interoperability are crucial for realizing the full benefits of Industry 5.0, requiring investments in interoperable platforms and standardized communication protocols to ensure compatibility and scalability across manufacturing operations.
Conclusion
While Industry 5.0 offers immense promise for transforming manufacturing, many companies remain hesitant to embrace digital transformation solely for sustainability purposes. And yet, the integration of digital technologies can expedite their journey towards sustainability goals. The companies who are already advancing in Industry 4.0, their trajectory should not be diverted. However, adjustments may be necessary to align with the core values of Industry 5.0, emphasizing sustainability, system-human-centricity, and resilience. The transition of digitization and sustainability should not take a separate path, and there should be just one journey for a business.
About the author: Jelena Milisavljevic-Syed is an Associate Professor at the Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Centre, Cranfield School of Aerospace, Transport, and Manufacturing, UK. She has been at the forefront of digital transformation in manufacturing, developing decision-making tools for evolving cyber-physical systems. The concept presented in this article is derived from her recent publication on Industry 5.0 technologies.
References
Milisavljevic-Syed, J., Thames, J.L. and Schaefer, D., 2020. The digitization of design and manufacturing: A state-of-the-art report on the transition from strategic vision to implementation in industry. Procedia CIRP, 93, pp.575-580.
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https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/increasing-agility-industry-40-tim-stuart/?trk=pulse-article_more-articles_related-content-card
Milisavljevic-Syed, J., Khan, M., Xia, H., Li, J., Salonitis, K., 2024, “Charting the Course: Standardization of Quality Assurance in Digital Twin Applications Across Product Lifecycle”, Procedia CIRP, under review.
Jiao, R., Commuri, S., Panchal, J., Milisavljevic-Syed, J., Allen, J.K., Mistree, F. and Schaefer, D., 2021. Design engineering in the age of industry 4.0. Journal of Mechanical Design, 143(7), p.070801.
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