The New Industry 5.0 Paradigm: An Investigation in the Italian Automotive Sector

Today, companies are experiencing a paradigm shift that sees the conceptual and cultural evolution from the highly techno-centric principles of Industry 4.0 to those of Industry 5.0 focusing on three drivers: human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience. Guided by these three elements, the 5.0 paradigm not only considers technologies as tools for bringing the efficiency of and improvement in production processes, but also recognises the importance of using these solutions with respect for people and the planet. The study aims to figure out the possible orientation towards the new principles of Industry 5.0 in Italian companies, with a particular focus on the automotive sector given its strong propensity for innovation. To this end, a quantitative survey was conducted using a survey questionnaire distributed among a sample of Italian automotive companies in May 2023. A total of 78 companies contributed to the study. The results show that Italian automotive companies have fully integrated Industry 4.0 solutions into their production processes (59%). Likewise, a change of perspective towards Industry 5.0 principles can be perceived, especially about the driver of human-centricity (mean 4.46). Managers and institutions should thus make greater efforts to enable companies to complete the digital and sustainable transition by defining proper strategies and measures.