Industry 5.0 – From Virtual to Physical

Industry 5.0 is the first industrial evolution ever led by humans. It recovers the missing link between nature and human made ecosystems.

What Is Industry 5.0?

Industry 5.0 is based on the principles of systematic waste prevention recognizing five types of waste:

• Physical
• Social
• Urban
• Process
• Wasting of time

All the waste can be prevented using the same methodology named 6R.

Industry 5.0 utilizes the rich and growing on-the-ground-mines (OTGM), which help to deliver results without the need of capital investment. This helped Industry 5.0 be named the leading global industrial trend of a century after just 7 years of existence.

As of May 2024, Industry 5.0 is represented in 118 countries and covers the global maritime ecosystem.

Industry 5.0 Development

Industry 5.0 was launched on December 1, 2015, but its principles have been implemented since 2013 by the industrial upcycling methodology applied in companies and businesses mainly in Czech Republic.

The aim for Industry 5.0 is to build a wasteless world for all. Thanks to its setup in aiming for waste prevention, its principles are applicable everywhere from households to factories, from entrepreneurs to corporations, and from homes to governments. Education plays major role, which is why more than 650 schools, colleges, and universities have the opportunity to engage with Industry 5.0 webinars, workshops, and events led by the Industry 5.0 Founder or Industry 5.0 Ambassadors.

One of the keynotes, delivered at the largest industrial event in India on August 21, 2020, started the age of Industry 5.0 in India. Six months later, on January 5, 2021, the European Commission released a report titled Industry 5.0 – Towards a sustainable, human-centric and resilient European industry.

The United Nations first mentioned Industry 5.0 in December 2021, and in March 2024, the UN integrated Industry 5.0 in the Global Waste Management Outlook 2024 document, which was presented in Nigeria.

The number of businesses, companies, corporations, and governments adopting the term Industry 5.0 is growing rapidly.

A significant volume of funding has been made available for projects utilizing Industry 5.0. The biggest funded Industry 5.0 project of 2023 was a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation project in Canada, which secured $2.1B from the Government of Canada and will be built, assembled, and tested on production lines leverage Industry 5.0 techniques including AI, automation, cobots, augmented reality, and highly-skilled assemblers. Similar projects have taken place in India, Italy, and Indonesia to help support the growth of Industry 5.0.

A serious boost was delivered when the Industry 5.0 Waste Prevention Framework was introduced globally on September 1, 2021, and the initiative was advanced further when the Industry 5.0 Strategic Alliance started its operations on September 1, 2022.

Industry 5.0 is not a sales tool or a buzzword, but it is new global ecosystem that helps to reduce the negative impact of industrial development on the global ecosystem and at the same time help to stabilize and strengthen the position of the Industry 5.0 members on a local and global level.

Contributing Author: Michael Rada, HUMAN

Michael Rada is the INDUSTRY 5.0 Founder. He publishes a weekly INDUSTRY 5.0 Newsletter, and he can be found on LinkedIn here.