Learn how Industry 5.0, which focuses on sustainability and climate neutrality, builds on AI/machine learning, industrial IoT, digital twins and more.
For industries, 2025 is set to usher in headwinds on multiple fronts. The European Union’s new directives on Industry 5.0 drive a new focus on sustainability and AI governance. The supply chain remains complex as potential new tariffs loom and geopolitical conflicts impact trade routes. Rising labor costs and market instabilities are asking for agile adaptation from manufacturers.
While IoT and AI/machine learning innovations remain a strong, propelling force, they expose IT and OT environments to new cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities. All these crosscurrents are set to inspire a transformative future in system design where resilience and sustainability drive lasting success.
What is Industry 5.0
European Union’s push towards sustainability and climate neutrality by 2050 has led to Industry 5.0, also called the Fifth Industrial Revolution. Industry 5.0 is a transformative evolution of Industry 4.0 and builds on technologies like AI/machine learning, industrial IoT, digital twins and advanced simulations.
While Industry 4.0 steered industrial automation and digitalization, Industry 5.0 focuses on environmental sustainability, for example, using renewable energy-powered production systems to reduce carbon emissions, human-machine integration and industrial resilience. Industry 5.0 goes beyond operational efficiency, harmonizing the interactions between people, machines and the environment. This is crucial for businesses striving to achieve environment, social and governance (ESG) standards emerging as a non-negotiable requirement across global markets.
New trends in industrial AI
Advances in AI are an essential aspect of the Industry 5.0 framework. Integrating IoT and machine learning, industrial AI enables manufacturers to minimize waste and downtime, enhancing supply chains and predictive maintenance. However, industrial AI must be part of a comprehensive strategy to deliver measurable value and a transformative impact in industrial organizations. Isolated AI applications risk disillusionment.
As more industries with strict regulations adopt AI, the value of AI governance will gain importance. Gartner predicts by 2028, enterprises using AI governance platforms will achieve 30 per cent higher customer trust ratings and 25 per cent better regulatory compliance scores than their competitors. AI governance standards help prevent the negative impacts of AI, like privacy violations, market manipulations or conflicts with human and societal values.
Ambient invisible intelligence (AII) is another affordable solution that can help low-cost tracking and sensing of components and machinery in smart factories and warehouses. Using Bluetooth and cellular networks, it offers an intelligent advancement in industrial asset tracking.
Polyfunctional robots are another emerging industry trend that can enhance human-machine interactions that Industry 5.0 envisions. Polyfunctional robots sport flexible designs and can perform multiple tasks, promising cost-efficiency. Gartner predicts that by 2030, 80 per cent of humans will be engaged with smart robots daily. That’s a significant uptick from less than 10 per cent today. Rising labor competition and demand to drive up ROI in industries like warehousing and manufacturing will likely fuel the adoption of polyfunctional robots.
Renewed focus on hardware security
Resilience and reliability have assumed new meanings for critical infrastructure in the age of AI. Cloud-based ransomware services started democratizing attacks targeting industrial systems and AI platforms are escalating that trend.
Generative AI models trained to generate malicious code can automate writing and deploying attacks. This can further democratize cyberattacks, allowing anyone to leverage those capabilities to deploy ransomware, spyware and other types of malware with little effort.
Hackers also leverage generative AI with advanced reasoning abilities to launch realistic phishing scams and deepfake voice and video avatars. Morphing malware is becoming prevalent, thanks to generative AI, allowing hackers to create code that adapts and mutates, evading detection with traditional defenses.
To counter these emerging threats, organizations can implement AI/machine learning tools to continuously learn and adapt to these emerging attack patterns. Security awareness training also helps to avert AI-powered threats.
However, building and protecting resilient mission-critical systems in this threat landscape requires a renewed focus on hardware security. Hardware-based root of trust (RoT) outperforms their software equivalent in reliability and can improve resilience to software-centric generative AI-driven threats. For the same reason, storing secrets like passwords in trusted platform modules (TPM) and enhancing secure boot and firmware update technologies are critical to improving system resilience to various attack scenarios.
Sustainability at the center stage
Industry 5.0 adds a new dimension to technological advancement by harmonizing innovations with the commitment to ESG principles. This makes sustainability one of the main trends in 2025 for manufacturing industries.
Recent legislatures incorporating the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) extend sustainability reporting obligations to small- and medium-sized enterprises, further emphasizing eco-friendly initiatives. This will increase the transparency of integrating sustainability into company strategies and review processes and systems that comply with the new rules.
Innovations in energy-efficient computing will advance these efforts technologically. Energy-efficient computing involves designing and operating servers, data centers and other digital systems to minimize energy consumption and carbon footprint.
Conclusion
Amid multiple crosscurrents shaping the future for industries, manufacturers have a unique opportunity to innovate and adapt to trends Industry 5.0 ushers in. As a highly reliable global supplier, TTI is committed to helping you build systems that meet environmental, social and governance standards.
