Industry 4.0 and beyond – towards Industry 5.0 by driving sustainability through digitalization

Objective
In this seed project, we aim to develop a roadmap starting from Industry 4.0 (launched in 2011) to reach Industry 5.0 with a forward-looking agenda with 2030 as a target. The aim is to develop the Roadmap for Industry 5.0 and beyond, which drives sustainability. The main objectives of the project include, 

• To emphasise how synergies can be obtained among the many related efforts at KTH, with partners, and in collaboration between KTH and its strategic partners.
• To find out how current research at KTH responds to the new requirements and what future research themes are proposed with a five-year perspective. 
• Engage industry and stakeholder interaction through workshops and establish collaboration for national and international projects (industrial and research projects) in the direction of the roadmap.

The scope of the project is wide and varied. This calls for a diverse network of people working on this project. Therefore, we have put together a strong team of professors, assistant professors, researchers, and post-docs representing two different schools and several departments at KTH. The Industrial digitalization workgroup and reference group support this diverse project team. The project’s results, i.e., the roadmap, will enable industries and academia to guide toward Industry 5.0. This pioneering research work will also help KTH enhance its education and research profiles.

Background
Industry 4.0 has shifted the manufacturing industries greatly towards digitalization. It uses cyber-physical systems to integrate information and communication technologies into production and automation. This has greatly transformed industrial practices but lacked focus on social aspects. In addition, industries will have to meet climate and sustainability targets. Industry 5.0 – or Society 5.0 – aims to address social and sustainability challenges with the help of the integration of physical and virtual spaces that would be achieved by Industry 4.0. Together with technological evolution, the societal characteristics of the social generations have evolved, too. Now, we focus on the industrial transformation from the technology-centric view of Industry 4.0 towards a socio-technical and sustainable view of Industry 5.0.

Crossdisciplinary collaboration
The team’s researchers represent several KTH Royal Institute of Technology departments.

Watch the recorded presentation at the Digitalize in Stockholm 2023 event: