From Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0: What’s Changing?

Industry 5.0 builds upon the principles of Industry 4.0. However, it introduces new focal areas and enhances the existing ones. Let’s break it down:

1. Modularity

• Industry 4.0: Allows systems to be flexibly adapted and scaled to cater to changing requirements.
• Industry 5.0 Enhancement: Increased emphasis on adaptable and personalized systems, where components can be swiftly reconfigured to align with individual and societal needs. This supports the broader theme of human-centricity and bespoke production.

2. Interoperability

• Industry 4.0: Machines, devices, sensors, and people connect and communicate with each other via the Internet of Things (IoT).
• Industry 5.0 Enhancement: Enhanced integration between human intelligence and machine operations. Interoperability will cater not just to machine-to-machine or machine-to-human communication but will consider emotional, ethical, and societal aspects.

3. Decentralization

• Industry 4.0: Automated decisions allow systems to make decisions on their own.
• Industry 5.0 Enhancement: Decentralization is balanced with human-in-the-loop interventions, particularly in areas where ethical, moral, or subjective evaluations are needed. It’s not just about autonomy but collaboration between humans and machines.

4. Real-time Capability

• Industry 4.0: Real-time data collection and analysis to make immediate decisions.
• Industry 5.0 Enhancement: Real-time data integrates with human feedback loops, enabling immediate personalization and adaptability. For example, real-time health data could inform the production of personalized medical devices.

5. Virtualization

• Industry 4.0: Virtual copies of the physical world are created to monitor and simulate real-world processes.
• Industry 5.0 Enhancement: Immersive experiences, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) bring humans into the virtual space for collaboration, design, and training. This takes the concept of personalization to the next level, such as designing one’s car in a virtual environment.

6. Service Orientation

• Industry 4.0: Emphasized services to provide continuous revenue streams, such as post-sales support and regular software updates.
• Industry 5.0 Enhancement: Sustainability: Services prioritize environmental and social sustainability. Resilience: Adaptive services that quickly recover from disruptions. Well-being: Services focus on human well-being, both physically and mentally.

New Focus Areas in Industry 5.0:

1. Human-Centric Approach: Puts the well-being of workers at the center of the production process. Workers play a more central role, becoming more involved in design, decision-making, and the overall value chain.
2. Advanced Personalization: Taking customization to an extreme, where products and services are tailored to individual preferences, behaviors, and needs, like the example of a tailor-made artificial pancreas for diabetes patients.
3. Sustainability and Resilience: Emphasizes circular production models, efficient use of resources, and resilient industries capable of adapting to external shocks and global challenges.
4. Research and Innovation Focus: Prioritizes research and innovation to ensure sustainable, human-centric, and resilient industry evolution.

In summary, while Industry 5.0 retains the foundational principles of Industry 4.0, it evolves and enriches them with a focus on human-centricity, personalization, sustainability, and resilience. It represents a shift towards a more integrated collaboration between humans and machines, emphasizing societal values and well-being.