We are now entering the fifth industrial revolution with a focus on man and machines working together. Based on personalization and collaborative robots, workers can deliver value-added customer tasks. This latest iteration goes beyond manufacturing processes to include increased resilience, a human-centric approach, and a focus on sustainability, which we explore in more detail below.
Industry 5.0 is essential as it allows businesses and industries to actively deliver solutions for society to preserve resources, ensure social stability, and address climate targets. With benefits focused in the broader world, including employees, rather than productivity and profit, Industry 5.0 turns connected businesses into part of the solution rather than posing potential environmental and societal problems.
As mentioned above, Industry 5.0 is underpinned by three strategies:
1. Human-Centric
Industry 5.0 includes a strategy that moves people from being seen as resources to being genuine assets. In effect, this means that rather than people serving organizations, organizations will serve people. So, instead of talent being used to create a competitive advantage and value for customers, Industry 5.0 refocuses to creating added value for workers to attract and keep the best employees.
2. Resilience
As the world has become more joined-up over the years, we have seen the widespread impact of global matters such as the COVID-19 pandemic and international supply shortages.
Whereas many businesses look to improving efficiencies and optimizing profits, these factors do not improve resilience. There is a belief that a concentration on agility and flexibility can make companies less resilient, not more.
Rather than focusing on growth, profit, and efficiency, more resilient organizations would look to anticipate and react to any crisis to ensure stability through challenging times.
3. Sustainability
Industry 5.0 extends sustainability from simply reducing, minimizing or mitigating climate damage to actively pursuing efforts to create a positive change. Sometimes referred to as ‘Net Positive,’ this goal aims to make the world a better place with companies becoming part of the solution rather than being a problem or simply paying lip service to sustainability goals through ‘greenwashing.’
Industry 5.0 Applications and Examples
While robots have performed dangerous, monotonous or physically exhausting work in manufacturing plants and other workplaces, Industry 5.0 extends this to allow them to work collaboratively with human workers.
For example, instead of being fenced off for safety, a new generation of ‘Cobots’ that can work safely alongside people is creating new opportunities for businesses. Human and machine workers operating side-by-side allow people to focus on value-adding processes to take the personalization of products to a new level.
For example, the medical profession could use this joined-up, cooperative approach to create devices tailored for an individual, such as a diabetes app that can track your lifestyle and inform the device manufacturer to suit your needs.
Tailoring products to suit individual needs can be extended to other industries, including electronics, automotive, and more, adding a personal, human touch to open the offerings created through Industry 4.0.
The need for a technology-driven, future-focused education strategy
To keep up with the changing demands of the workplace, education needs to be technology-driven and future-focused. Education 5.0 is a response to this need. It is an education strategy that puts a strong emphasis on the development of technology skills and knowledge. It also puts a lot of emphasis on developing soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
The goal of Education 5.0 is to make sure that students have the skills and knowledge they need to do well in the new economy. It is also made to ensure students can keep up with how quickly the workplace needs to change. Education 5.0 can help students become more employable and better prepared for the workplace by focusing on developing technology skills and knowledge as well as soft skills.
The future of IR 5.0 and Education 5.0
The future of IR 5.0 and Education 5.0 is bright. As the world of work continues to evolve and become more technology-driven, education 5.0 will become increasingly important. Colleges and universities need to put more effort into making courses and programs that fit the needs of the new economy. This will help ensure students have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in a world that changes quickly.
IR 5.0 and Education 5.0 could also make the workplace more efficient and open to new ideas. Education 5.0 can cut down on the cost of training and development by giving students access to the latest technology. It can also reduce the cost of recruiting and retaining employees. Lastly, Education 5.0 can help to make the workplace more efficient by making sure that workers know how to use the latest technology to its fullest.
Benefits of Education 5.0
If baby boomers and Generation X and Y had an education based on technical knowledge for professional training, Generation Z now has access to Education 5.0.
Educational establishments that can introduce this aspect to their teaching philosophy and management processes can develop, in addition to technical knowledge, skills like:
- Collaborative work
- Better interpersonal relations, empathy, and tolerance of diversity
- Creativity
- Conflict management
- More fluid communication
Over the last few decades, we have witnessed a boom in digital transformation and new technology in our day-to-day. Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, data processing, and other tools have been embedded in our lives and companies.
With the Covid-19 pandemic, life turned more digital, and things were no different in educational institutions. Online classes and distance learning were no longer trends but reality, and everyone had to get used to them.
But beyond technological devices, the pandemic made clear the need to prepare human beings for adversity, for emotionally intelligent people who know how to turn digital transformation into a tool for social change.
And that’s precisely what Education 5.0 is: a chain that links digital and technological knowledge to human social and emotional skills to promote well-being.