European industry is a key driver in the economic and societal transitions that we are currently undergoing.

In order to remain the engine of prosperity, industry must lead the digital and green transitions.

This approach provides a vison of industry that aims beyond efficiency and productivity as the sole goals, and reinforces the role and the contribution of industry to society.

It places the wellbeing of the worker at the centre of the production process and uses new technologies to provide prosperity beyond jobs and growth while respecting the production limits of the planet.

It complements the existing "Industry 4.0" approach by specifically putting research and innovation at the service of the transition to a sustainable, human-centric and resilient European industry.

Industries can play an active role in providing solutions to challenges for society including the preservation of resources, climate change and social stability. 

The Industry of the Future approach brings benefits for industry, for workers and for society.

It empowers workers, as well as addresses the evolving skills and training needs of employees. It increases the competitiveness of industry and helps attract the best talents.

It is good for our planet as it favours circular production models and support technologies that make the use of natural resources more efficient.

Revising existing value chains and energy consumption practices can also make industries more resilient against external shocks, such as Covid-19 crisis.

This approach to industry contributes to 3 of the Commission’s priorities: "An economy that works for people", "European Green Deal" and "Europe fit for the digital age".

Elements related to the future of industry are already part of major Commission policy initiatives

• adopting a human-centric approach for digital technologies including artificial intelligence (Proposal for AI regulation)
• up-skilling and re-skilling European workers, particularly digital skills (Skills Agenda and Digital Education Action plan)
• modern, resource-efficient and sustainable industries and transition to a circular economy (Green Deal)
• a globally competitive and world-leading industry, speeding up investment in research and innovation (Industrial Strategy)

These are just some examples that demonstrate the strong links between the industrial transition and other societal developments.

Experts from research and technology organisations as well as funding agencies discussed the Industry 5.0 concept during 2 virtual workshops on 2 and 9 July 2020.

ESIR a high-level expert group advising the Commission on how to develop a forward-looking and transformative research and innovation policy, are currently developing a new policy brief on industry. It will provide concrete policy recommendations and actions for attaining Industry of the Future goals and will provide an important basis for advancing European and national-level policy initiatives and making sure the development is in line with the Commission's political priorities.

The Award recognises EU-funded projects that make an outstanding contribution to building a more human-centric, sustainable and resilient European industry. This could be by means of developing innovative technologies, industrial or supply chain processes, new business models, or by advancing the understanding of human-centricity, sustainability and resilience in industry.

Building on the experience of the first edition of the Award, the 2023 edition hopes to attract even more applications from deep-tech start-ups across the EU.

More information

Outcomes of the Call for expression of interest in joining the pilot phase

The dedicated Call for expression of interest  in joining the pilot phase of the Industry 5.0 Community of Practice (CoP 5.0) has now closed. It has attracted a significant response with over 100 expressions of interest received. These cover a broad and diverse range of actors in European research and innovation, including industry, SMEs, Member States, regional and local authorities, research organizations, civil society organizations, academies, universities, representative organizations and investors.

The strong interest underscores the importance of adopting a human-centric, sustainable, and resilient approach to the transformation of European industry. It also highlights the openness to sharing best practices and contributing to the development of an Industry 5.0 ecosystem.

We are pleased to announce that an official launch of the CoP 5.0 is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023. Following the launch, various working groups, as outlined in the CoP 5.0 Terms of Reference, will commence their activities.