Will we finally get it right with industry 5.0?

Incredibly, technology has the power to rapidly gain mass adoption. It matters little if it is experimental, unregulated, or even unbound by ethics. There’s such focus on being seen to be innovative, that people and businesses fall over themselves to get the latest tech and prove to everyone else around them that they’re forward thinkers.

Maybe that’s part of the problem. We are programmed to believe that anything new is better, and technology especially so when compared to the natural world that has been around forever. Simply put, the world is old, tech is new. The world evolves slowly, tech is fast paced, and no-one wants to be seen as a dinosaur plodding along.

It’s ironic then that 4^th industrial revolution consisting of digitisation, robotics and automation, and which was tipped to make life so much better and easier, has in fact, come up short. Despite digitisation, life isn’t that much better, and it’s certainly not easier. The problems haven’t magically gone away, instead they’ve compounded.

Now, Industry 5.0 is here, and it’s not the tech that’s so much more advanced or even the applications, it’s a new strategic approach. Turns out we do need humans and the planet after all.

The human element

For all the advantages of technology, it’s being increasingly recognised that it holds more value as an enabler, than a replacement for human input. For some this may be surprising, given the volume of investment that is being pumped into developing agentic AI – a technology capable of operating autonomously and making its own decisions.

As exciting as this technology may seem, it’s not without its flaws. Just like humans, AI can have bias due to data flaws or the way it’s programmed. Yes, AI can do things at scale that’s impossible for humans, but if the outputs are flawed due to bias, incomplete data sets or inaccurate information, it results in a setback, not advancement.

In manufacturing, where automation and robotics already operate at an advanced level, people working in the sector report that their work remains dangerous or dirty. Industry 5.0 seeks to leverage human input for innovation and efficiency in ways that automation and smart systems haven’t been able to deliver yet.

In many of the MRF’s that we recruit for there are smart systems and AI technologies embedded in the operations. When we assess candidates for plant operator roles, we’re not looking for their ability to push a button or read an operations report. We’re looking for how they pay attention to detail, can make sound decisions, communicate well, and have a strong awareness regarding health and safety. Equally important is being adaptable and understanding operational risks to minimise impact on operational performance. These are all human skills vital to success in operational roles.

Resilience and sustainability

With industry 5.0 the elements of resilience and sustainability feature strongly. The pandemic showed the impact of global events on the supply chain. This has been exacerbated by further global instability in recent years. Technology cannot solve issues in the supply chain when they relate to lack of supply of materials, or price increases as a result of import tariffs.

Even without legislation that is doubling down on waste management and producer responsibility, companies are realising that sustainability isn’t just about remaining compliant, it’s about building more resilience and more sustainable levels of profit too.

The role of technology is this: Modelling the impact of specific regenerative initiatives, monitoring and reporting on waste volumes and providing the evidence that these efforts have a positive impact on sustainability and resilience.  In an operational environment there are many opportunities to leverage technology to boost efficiency.

Even with this, ultimately, it’s humans that are innovating new methods of waste management, coming up with creative ways to process soft plastics, for example, so that they can be sent back into the economy as valuable resources. It’s the experience of people working in different industries who are seeing the opportunities to collaborate and pool expertise to create new market opportunities.

This is a human skill that goes beyond a certificate or a university degree and demonstrates how individuals apply their knowledge to different roles and challenges. When hiring, it’s skills-based assessments that highlight what makes an individual candidate unique and what value they can bring to an organisation.

Maybe in Industry 5.0 we will finally see the convergence of human, planetary and technological strengths working together. Acknowledging that all three are vital may well be the key to finally getting it right.