Industry 5.0 And Super Smart Human

Not every technology that improves our future is complex, sometimes even extremely simple and at the same time highly effective. We are moving towards a future in which the modular smart factories of the industry 5.0 era will operate with cyber-physical systems in addition to physical processes, the communication of objects with each other and with people will increase, and integrated solutions will be equipped with much more complex capabilities.

Industry 4.0 technologies, which are integrated with solutions such as big data, internet of things, augmented reality, simulations, 3D printing, cloud systems, smart robot automation and cyber security developments, are carrying us to Industry 5.0. These technologies have led to the transition to the 5th industrial revolution, which covers a much more advanced process based entirely on artificial intelligence production dominated by dark factory production. All these developments mean the rapid transformation of the supply network and related systems dating back years to the present day. As global trade moves towards a completely different future with digital transformation, adapting technology to the workforce is of distinctive importance in order not to fall behind in the competition. We have summarized Industry 5.0, which can be interpreted as a transition to future industrial revolutions and is described as the 5th industrial revolution.

The concept of Industry 4.0 was first introduced at the Hannover Fair in Germany in 2011. In the period between these two revolutions, the dynamics of the global economy, along with the impact of social developments, took a completely different turn with digital transformation. With the penetration of technology and digitalization into our daily lives as a result of the Covid pandemic, which we have been experiencing the effects of globally in many issues for the last two years, Industry 5.0 became the basis of the industry that is taking place today and turned into the 5th industrial revolution, the age of dark factories. We can list the development process of industrial revolutions and the point they have reached as follows:

In 2017, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe introduced the philosophy of Society 5.0 at the IT fair CeeBIT: “Technology should be perceived by societies not as a threat, but as a help” and announced the industry 5.0 revolution. This new era was thus launched in Tokyo under the name Society 5.0. The main purpose of Society 5.0 is expressed as ensuring the integration of global technological developments into societies and life. The 5th industrial revolution, which started with Abe’s announcement, brought along discussions on “the danger of human unemployment”. An expert explaining Society 5.0, on the other hand, puts forward comments expressing that instead of being afraid of technology, society development is aimed by adapting to it.

According to Yuko Harayama, an academician and director of the Japan Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, Industry 5.0 can be explained as mobilizing the productive and technological potential of society, thereby harnessing the power of technology to improve people’s quality of life. While explaining this technology, Harayama describes a future in which digitalization remains a tool and human beings are at the center, and society reaches a “supersmart” level. The concept of supersmart society is explained as a concept that emerged on the basis of this technology. The “super smart society” approach, which is based on the mission of “human-centered society”, constitutes the philosophy and mission of Society 5.0. The term “Super Smart Society” is based on the understanding that it is not only the welfare of an elite group, but also the development of societies and the welfare and better living of each and every human being that makes up these societies.

Since Society 5.0 is based on the principle of developing a more advanced society thanks to technology and its benefits, it is explained with the aim of the society to live at a more advanced level by adapting to technology. At this point, efforts to increase common platforms (super smart society service platform) to create a seamless and functional coordination between multiple systems to achieve more advanced systems with the systematization of services and projects should be prioritized both by governments and relevant ministries and on the academic platform. However, for the industrial use of this technology, it is important that global organizations as well as companies in different sectors in the market adapt to the transformation in cooperation.

Technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, augmented reality, etc. and related developments have differentiated daily life with global agendas. With technology bringing the 5th Industrial Revolution, global trade dynamics are changing faster than ever before. Especially the crises experienced at many stages of the supply chain from production to logistics as a result of the global Covid pandemic triggered this speed. From networked sensors and smart spaces to autonomous production facilities and transport, the power of data is being harnessed everywhere. Therefore, considering that the industry is reflected in every aspect of human life, we can talk about a huge amount of data. Big data interactive systems will take the supply chain from production to delivery to a whole new dimension. Innovations beyond imagination can be achieved in the foresights that guide supply processes.

Thanks to reports and evaluations on consumption, the power of data can offer realistic predictions that are almost one-to-one with production, and thus an effect beyond dreams can be seen in “just in time” production. The acceleration that this integrated interaction will create in the global economy is quite exciting. It seems that the cards will be redistributed in global markets woven with networks and data. Towards the 6th industrial revolution, the actors who will prepare hard for the technology lesson will continue to stay at  the table.