The rise of the collaborative industry and Industry 5.0
Towards a new industrial and cultural revolution
Although some Italian enterprises are only now starting to catch up with Industry 4.0 standards, there is already talk about the next phase: Industry 5.0. This new production paradigm of collaborative industry focuses on sustainability and resilience, as well as a human-centric approach to enable collaboration between machines and humans. Many aspects of Industry 4.0 are still unclear and have become outdated and controversial. These include, for example, the increase in inequality among workers, environmental impact, a crisis of social rights and insufficient attention to consumers. This underscores the necessity for a new industrial and cultural revolution capable of repositioning businesses in the modern context.
What is the difference between Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0?
In contrast with Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0 focuses on the fast-paced development of increasingly powerful 4.0 technologies, particularly in ICT, AI and robotics, which is leading to the creation of highly sophisticated Cyber Physical Systems and IoT devices. Nevertheless, the focus remains on respecting humans and bringing benefits to the industry, workers, and society, as stated in a European Commission publication: “Industry 5.0: towards a sustainable, human-centric, and resilient European industry.”
How will Industry 5.0 impact companies?
Though still in its infancy, it is already clear that Industry 5.0 will have a significant impact on the current organisational models of companies. . Industrial manufacturing will no longer be solely profit-driven, but will adopt a human-centric approach, assisted by heightened attention to resilience, defined as the ability to adapt to adverse situations (e.g. the COVID-19 pandemic), and sustainability, to combat pollution. How can such ambitious goals be achieved? Through a series of measures that include:
- adaptation of manufacturing processes to the needs of workers, using systems and platforms that respect the fundamental rights of operators, human dignity and privacy;
- transformation of smart factories into green factories, i.e. advocating environmentally-friendly practices that promote circular economy and energy-efficiency models;
- reinforcement of infrastructures and production lines to better cope with geopolitical changes, such as ongoing wars and cataclysmic events caused by the climate crisis.
Towards Industry 5.0 with Robofeed
Industry 5.0 presents numerous challenges, including digital literacy, design and critical analysis of Artificial Intelligence applications, management and leadership approaches, problem-solving and design thinking, and technological, organisational and environmental safety of work environments, to name just a few. This imminent revolution will enable successful companies to cultivate innovation, efficiency and transparency, while also leading the way towards a society focused on people and their social inclusion. Since our establishment in 1998, Assistec has embraced a work culture centred on collaboration between humans and machines. Over time, we have specialised in providing technical and mechanical assistance for CNC machine tools and have created an innovative business unit with specialised knowledge in the development of robotic cells designed to simplify human tasks and streamline manufacturing processes.
Do you have a business and want to make it more efficient by integrating the benefits of Industry 5.0 with our robots? For more information, please contact us or call us at +39 0522989436. One of our operators will get back to you as soon as possible.