It was only a decade ago when we started understanding and implementing the framework of The Fourth Industrial Revolution in our systems and witnessed a digital transformation of things and processes. While the whole world is still trying to get to the optimum mix of automation, and focusing on getting the best out of interconnecting technologies, the most important principle behind Industry 4.0, the 5th revolution is already knocking at the door. Industry 4.0 transforms into Industry 5.0 when customization is brought into the picture.

The nomenclature of “#.0” in regards to the industrial revolution signifies the period it took humanity to make extraordinary advancements with the help of technology, innovation, and invention. The First Industrial Revolution is called Industry 1.0, where we just started understanding machines and their uses in our lives. The Second Revolution, Industry 2.0, was known as the Technological Revolution, where we experimented with technology and produced superior machines. The Third Revolution, Industry 3.0, was known as the Digital revolution, where we saw our first computers, and, The Fourth Revolution, Industry 4.0, is known as the Automation revolution, where we started implementing The Internet of Things to automate machines.

In 2011, Bosch first coined the term "Industry 4.0" in the Hannover Trade Fair, hosted in Germany. Industry 4.0 is all about using connected devices, IoT (Internet of Things), cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence for advanced automated processes. The idea is to create a smart factory where systems, components, and people connect through a network and the mass production is mostly autonomous. Many of the market players like Uber, Tesla, Google, Airbnb created new business models to accommodate automation and were a part of the multi-billion dollar business created in the decade.

The whole idea of Industry 5.0 is to bring the human touch back into the process. It is an amalgamation where robotics and automation are paired with human intelligence and creativity. Industry 5.0 believes in making the process more synchronized and reach advanced levels of speed and perfection. Japan created the concept of Society 5.0 which is a technology-based, human-centred society where “new wisdom” is created with the help of AI and big data, and this information is used to enhance human capability, and create numerous possibilities for people to live more fulfilling lives. 

All of this brings us to the point where we want to understand if it is already time for Industry 5.0 to take over and what it holds for us in the future. 

Cost-Effective Processes: Industry 5.0 promises to focus on the past improvements and search for a more optimized process where the least resources can obtain maximum profits since man and machine work together to make the decisions for an organization. Employees at Müllerblaustein, a timber construction firm partnered with KUKA, one of the worlds’s leading suppliers of intelligent automation solutions, on Industry 5.0-related initiatives. They were first apprehensive, but after applying smart automation, the company’s Managing Director, Reinhold Müller stated, “In production, the workers realized that the robots relieve them of physically demanding work and now they can concentrate on other tasks at hand,” Müller added. “Craftsmanship and robotics complement each other wonderfully here.”

Collaboration model: The whole idea of Industry 5.0 is on supporting and not eliminating. Esben Østergaard, chief technology officer and co-founder of Universal Robots, stated in an article on Enterprise IoT Insights, “Industry 5.0 will take place for creative people in factories where they create more personalized experiences for workers and customers at the same time.” 

Customization is the key: Marc Beulque, vice president of global operations at Rogers Corporation, said, “Industry 5.0 recognizes that man and machine must be interconnected to meet the manufacturing complexity in dealing with increasing customization through an optimized robotized manufacturing process and, meanwhile finding room to add ideas that result in a better product.

A greener tomorrow: Industry 5.0 is a more conscious choice made by organizations where the protection of the environment is considered a priority. This mindset has brought in sustainable models and policies that make the organizations more effective and tomorrow-ready. Less waste generation, finding environment-friendly alternatives to conservative processes are some ideas that are gaining a lot of attention.

The progression of Industry 5.0 is inevitable because it sweetens the deal by bringing the best of both the worlds. We are now looking into the space where upskilling our labour is gaining traction, and henceforth the question that the industry will be solving is how to work towards leveraging technology to benefit from the optimal use of a human/machine interaction.