Definition: What is Industry 5.0?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Industry 5.0? To answer this question, let's look back at the key points. You will no doubt remember: people-centricity, resilience and sustainability. Because that's what it's essentially about - regardless of whether we can now talk about an industrial revolution 5.0 or not.

Advantages

The advantages of focusing on the three core topics can be, for example

• the creation of high-quality, technologized workplaces that aim to optimize people's ability to work
• the outsourcing of repetitive tasks, for example, so that employees can concentrate on creativity and innovation - for example to develop new services and products
• increasing resilience in the company through the optimal use of technologies and “brainpower” to anticipate trends or crises
• increasing the positive impact of companies on society and the environment - in terms of sustainability and without greenwashing

Disadvantages

What disadvantages can a focus on employees, the environment and the resilience of your company actually have in return? In short: effort and costs.

• While you are still busy implementing technologies in the context of Industry 4.0, optimized machine-human interaction generates completely new expenses.
• Would you like to support your employees with cobots or work on digital twins?

A lot has happened in the past few years since the definition of Industry 4.0. Digitalization is progressing - despite bottlenecks and crises. At 113.6 points in 2024, the digitalization index in Germany has surpassed all previous years, with the electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and vehicle construction sector in second place in a sector comparison. Every second large company in Germany already considers itself to be highly digitalized (source: DE.DIGITAL).

And there has also been steady progress in recent years with regard to people in the context of digitalization. Companies are increasingly training their employees in digital skills. The population is becoming more digitally savvy, which means that more skilled workers with digital skills are available.

So Industry 4.0 is complete and 5.0 can begin? We can say quite clearly: no and no. Let's put it this way with the Industry 4.0 Research Advisory Board and the Industry 4.0 platform: Industry 4.0 is far from complete and Industry 5.0 builds so much on the developments of Industry 4.0 that a new terminology creates more confusion than it helps.

The European Commission itself also writes that Industry 5.0 supports and complements the current approach. What has so far been lost in the technology-focused Industry 4.0, at least on paper - the reference to people, resilience and sustainability - is now officially being brought into the spotlight. Even though it has long been an integral part of many digitalization companies in practice. Without a focus on people, digitalization comes to nothing. Internalizing this is much more important than the “Industry 5.0” label.

“No, not another newfangled word construct.” But if Industry 5.0 isn't here yet, then perhaps it will be in the production of the future. If you dismiss it as a buzzword, then you're not so wrong. Because the production of the future is actually production as it could be when it is fully digitalized. In other words, the completion of Industry 4.0, so to speak. And on closer inspection, the production of the future is primarily technology-driven.

Creation of shared data rooms

Data spaces such as Gaia-X, Catena-X and Manufacturing-X are federated, open infrastructures for sovereign data exchange based on common agreements, rules and standards.

Data-based production

Data is becoming more important in and beyond manufacturing. For example, according to the EU Data Act, manufacturers must grant operators access to the data generated during operation. This opens up new paths to digital solutions for companies.

Dynamic supply chains

Real-time information makes supply chains more dynamic. This enables companies to react quickly to bottlenecks or delays.

Connected & climate-neutral industry

Modern technologies such as smart energy monitoring solutions make it possible to optimize and reduce the carbon footprint of companies. Hydrogen is becoming increasingly attractive as a sustainable energy source.

Digital guidance systems & cobots

Digital systems support people in their daily work, making jobs and working conditions more attractive.

Consistent & secure information flows

In the production of the future, information will flow securely across departments and locations. The focus on cybersecurity is increasing.

Establishment of rental models

The as-a-service mentality is a strong driver of the production of the future. This not only applies to software. EaaS is also becoming more attractive and is enabling companies to outsource orders to production facilities that have the necessary (rental) equipment.

It is not important whether you call it Industry 5.0 or Industry 4.0. What is important is that you use the means of digitalization to create an optimal working environment in your production and thus for your employees. There are already established systems on the market that relieve and optimally support people in their tasks. One such system is our worker guidance system weasl.

weasl supports and relieves your employees at various levels:

Information provision by ONE system

Your employees no longer have to gather their information from different folders, systems or storage media. weasl delivers all information and documents - exactly when they are needed.

Data collection at the workstation

Walking distances are not uncommon in manufacturing companies. weasl saves your employees additional walking distances, for example to the PDA terminal, by enabling data collection directly at the workstation.

Beyond this, weasl can also promote sustainability in your production and assembly. You can read more about this in our blog post “More sustainability in production with our worker guidance system weasl”.

The key to worker-centered production