In the midst of the consolidation of industry 4.0, supported by technological development in issues such as AI and 5G, in the era of digital transformation, the ‘5.0 factor’ must be accompanied by efficient collaboration with human talent that introduces creativity and critical thinking. The prioritization of cleaner and more efficient production processes, which respect the environment and natural resources, and personalization (adaptation to the individual needs of each client), will be part of this performance, in which the European Commission has already provided documents such as, in 2021, ‘Industry 5.0: towards a resilient, human-centred and sustainable European industry’.
As Bernardo Villazán, director of the master’s degree in Connected Industry at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, emphasizes, “Industry 5.0 represents a significant evolution in the industrial landscape, marking a move away from the purely technological approach of Industry 4.0. While automation and digitalization remain fundamental pillars, Industry 5.0 places greater emphasis on collaboration between humans and machines. “This new industrial era seeks to create safer, healthier and more productive work environments, where people can fully develop their skills and creativity.”
The increase in efficiency and sustainability will undoubtedly contribute to improving the context of the circular economy, with progress in development factors such as digital twins, augmented reality, robotics, additive manufacturing, cybersecurity, Internet of Things. Things and, in all time and space, connectivity, with 6G warming up to continue reducing latencies and as an essential vehicle for applications such as sensors through signals. Part of a global, multidisciplinary approach, in which the chip will coexist, more and better, with programs that demonstrate that Corporate Social Responsibility does its homework, and in which the challenge of scalability from SMEs to medium and large companies will be capital. in this renewed universe.
Part of this responsibility becomes, therefore, transversal, global, as Jesús García Jiménez, general director of Cionet Spain, the largest technological community in Europe and Latin America, highlights: «The shared challenge in technological fields is management. of the ‘day after’ of digitization. Although in recent years management committees and corporate governments have become aware of the need to technologically transform organizations to maintain their competitiveness, the challenge of managing the essential cultural change in teams for efficient adoption of digital tools still persists. ».
The institution participates in the debate on this “leadership committed to change, training the workforce and supporting platforms at the service of the community of IT managers” with initiatives such as its ‘spin-off’ ‘Industry ‘, focused on those responsible for industrial operations. Time, therefore, for ‘hybrid experts’, who get it right in the management of technology and people, in the face of the challenge, as has been highlighted in ‘Industry As Juan Ramon Benito, data analyst at Randstad, points out: «In the current context, 54.5% of companies in Spain are not yet using AI, a central technology in this scenario, which reveals that, despite technological innovations, a significant part of the productive sector is in an initial phase of adoption, according to the report on AI and the labor market in Spain that we did at Randstad Research.
«According to our report (continues the specialist), it is estimated that the adoption of AI and automation could put up to 2 million jobs in Spain at risk in the next 10 years. However, 1.6 million new jobs will also be created, especially in sectors such as programming, consulting and telecommunications. In parallel, 15.9% of current jobs (3.24 million) will see their productivity increase due to the adoption of AI, while for the rest of current jobs (15.19 million), practically three of every four, no significant effects are expected.
The objective is clearly perceived (not without difficulty): «It is essential to foster a work environment in which workers rely on technology, where automation (for example) is not perceived as a threat that replaces employees, but rather as a tool that enhances its capabilities and can improve the overall performance of the company.
Alberto de Torres, president of Ametic’s Industry 4.0 Commission, agrees with the “intensification of the digital presence, fully connected, but with a focus on humans and sustainability, with the search for the best possible synergy between machine efficiency and human creativity.
De Torres gives some examples of companies belonging to Ametic for which there has already been evolution “in robotic solutions beyond mere automation, from robot dogs for industrial inspections, autonomous mobile robots or collaborative robotics for the food sector, which are redefining the human-machine interaction in industrial environments.
In the case of the advent of large-scale customization, De Torres points out how the technological institution is exploring ways to use AI and IoT “to adapt its products to individual consumer preferences, without compromising productive efficiency. In addition, from the association we are promoting the European initiative of the Digital Product Passport on the path to the integration of sustainable practices in manufacturing processes, aligning with the objective of industry 5.0 of creating a more ecological and responsible production. Essential steps towards the ‘perfect symphony of humanized automation’.
new era
As Ignacio Crespo, KPMG Consulting partner in Spain, concludes, this new paradigm for organizations will require (and already requires) increasing social objectives without losing competitiveness. And he places the basic context for the 5.0 digits: «The problems that the industry has had to face in years 21 and 22 due to cuts in the chain, war conflicts, increase in protectionism, shortage of raw materials, energy costs (gas and oil), inflation, or as we have unfortunately just experienced very closely, extreme climatic episodes… make it necessary to rethink their market strategies, production models and product portfolio.
Technology, therefore, must be essential when, as Crespo comments: «Review not only the supply models of suppliers, but also distribution to clients and markets, to achieve greater resilience to external shocks, reduce or replace the dependence on certain raw materials, through the evolution or redesign of its product portfolio, as well as promote the adoption of circular production models. An environment in which actions to alleviate the talent shortage are part of the equation “to generate quality, stable employment, innovation, technology and internationalization.”
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