Will Technology Make Our Lives Better?

Poland could be a leader

It seems that Industry 4.0, based on artificial intelligence and automation, is already fully developed. On the other hand, Industry 5.0, based on advanced artificial intelligence and technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and cloud computing, is still in its development stage. However, Industry 5.0 is much more than that. It represents not only new technologies, but also a change in the way we think about production and business. It is an attempt to combine traditional industry with new technologies and involve people and society in the production process. The human aspect should be particularly important when it comes to these activities and effecting change.

Investing in innovation and developing new technologies could be the key for Poland to break out of the middle development trap and become a market leader not only in Europe, but worldwide. We have many companies who are thriving under Industry 4.0 and using new technologies to grow their businesses. One of them is Comarch, which develops software for various industries such as telecommunications, finance and logistics. Comarch uses artificial intelligence to create solutions enabling automation of business processes and operational optimisation.

MAB Robotics, in turn, develops and deploys walking robots to replace humans in the hazardous work of infrastructure maintenance support. Currently used technologies, mostly based on rolling platforms, cannot reach everywhere, have a relatively short range and are expensive to use. By moving from wheels to feet, MAB Robotics robots will be able to get almost anywhere, carrying sensors to analyse the condition of installations and tools to perform minor repairs from the inside, making it possible to reduce the scope of excavation and roadworks on city streets.

Another example of a Polish start-up operating in the field of Industry 4.0 and offering interesting solutions is Robbo, a company developing intelligent mobile robots for industrial and logistics applications. Robbo utilises artificial intelligence to plan robot movement routes and automatically detect and avoid obstacles. The robots are able to process large amounts of data and can be managed via smartphones.

Global examples

Industry 4.0 offers a wide range of applications in many different industries. In the automotive industry, artificial intelligence or robotisation is proving its worth, making the production process more efficient and improving quality. One example is Tesla, which is one of the leaders of using Industry 4.0 technology in its field. In order to increase efficiency, Tesla employs artificial intelligence to analyse data from the production line and automatically detect failures or irregularities. As a result, it is able to react faster to potential problems and prevent downtime. In addition, Tesla is also developing technologies for autonomous cars, which are expected to be fully automated and not require driver involvement. In this case, artificial intelligence is being used to analyse data from sensors and cameras installed in the cars, so that the vehicles are able to make autonomous decisions regarding, for example, driving routes, acceleration or braking.

4.0-level technologies are also used in the logistics industry, where they enable automation of warehousing and distribution processes. A good example is Amazon, where robots move goods within warehouses and to fulfil orders. This makes the distribution process faster and more efficient. Amazon also uses AI for order-related data analysis and automatic planning of delivery routes. As a result, the company is able to fulfil orders faster and provide better customer service. In addition to this, Amazon uses cloud technology to process large volumes of order-related data and share this data with its customers and business partners. As a result, the company is able to provide better tailored services to its customers and increase its efficiency.

One interesting example of a global start-up that brings innovations to the field of Industry 4.0 is UiPath, a company that offers tools for automation of processes such as document processing, customer service or data management. UiPath uses artificial intelligence to enable its tools to automatically detect patterns and make decisions. With these solutions, UiPath helps its customers increase productivity and efficiency and enables them to automate their business processes.

Industry 4.0 is the technology that is most widespread in industry today, however more and more companies are beginning to implement Industry 5.0 solutions, which employ cyber-physical technologies to create intelligent production systems. In Industry 5.0, machines and equipment are fully integrated with IT networks and capable of making decisions autonomously, based on data acquired from the environment. In fact, there are already some organisations in the world that use Industry 5.0 technologies, or are close to using them. They include companies such as Toyota and GE, which are implementing cyber-physical manufacturing systems solutions in their factories. They utilise technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and the Internet of Things to create intelligent manufacturing systems capable of autonomous decisions, based on data acquired from the environment. Other organisations that are researching and implementing Industry 5.0 solutions in their factories include Airbus, Bosch, Philips and ABB.

Real-world replica

Wouldn't it be incredibly useful to be able to develop a simulation for our plans and see ‘what if?’, to test scenarios for creating new products or processes that we want to modify, before we invest time and money in real implementation? This is the promise behind Digital Twins.

A Digital Twin is a digital replica of a real-world object. It can be created thanks to the Internet of Things and sensors that collect data from the real world and send them on; this enables reconstruction of, say, a machine in the virtual world. By creating a Digital Twin, we have the opportunity to improve the operability of the machine, increase its efficiency or discover a bug or problem before it appears in the real world. Lessons learned from the Digital Twin can then be adapted to the physical world. This clearly reduces risk and delivers a greater return on investment. This is why the digital twin is one of the most important and noteworthy trends this year. According to Gartner, the value of the smart sensor market is expected to reach $100 billion by 2025. Tens of billions of sensors communicating with each other and generating huge amounts of data make Digital Twins technology even more advanced. One of the pioneers in using this technology is NASA, which uses Digital Twins to monitor, manage and repair space-based systems when no one is physically present. A second interesting use case for this technology is Formula One. When every second and maximum performance counts, simulation on a digital twin can help the driver - and the entire team working together - to see what improvements would help win the race.

There is even a digital version of Singapore. Imagine what a complex process city management is; a Digital Twin can help understand and improve the efficiency of consumption and create many new process applications to improve the lives of residents.

While women's participation in the workforce is increasing, there is also a defeminisation of labour in manufacturing, according to Alina Sorgner, assistant professor of data analytics at John Cabot University. New methods of production require new skills, and this could exacerbate the problem, especially in developing countries. ‘In short, Industry 4.0 has enormous potential to improve our prosperity, our well-being. However, the male-dominated nature of the manufacturing sector may also lead to some new types of gender inequality’, Sorgner said.

The challenge of retraining workers in Industry 4:0 not only concerns women. The issues of employee skills and training are common challenges worldwide. Future employees need to be able to use and design AI analytics, solve creative problems, work with new technologies safely and effectively and have strong cyber-security and entrepreneurial skills, among other things.

Industry 4.0 brings specific challenges. Many studies predict that a high share of jobs in the economy will be lost because of AI and automation. However, not all tasks are being automated and, most importantly, new products, sought-after competences or professions are being created throughout the economy.

Industry 5.0 presents a vision of industry that goes beyond efficiency and productivity as the sole objectives and reinforces the role and contribution of industry to society; it places the well-being of workers at the heart of the production process and employs new technologies to ensure well-being beyond jobs and growth, while respecting the planet's production limits. It complements the Industry 4.0 approach by specifically placing research and innovation at the service of the transition to a sustainable, human-centred and resilient European industry.

In other words, at its core, Industry 5.0 represents a shift from a focus on economic value to a focus on social value, and a shift from prosperity to well-being. This is already something. Of course, this is nothing new. Calls for a greater focus on social value and well-being are as old as capitalism itself, and their echoes have always been reverberating - think CSR, ESG or the Triple Bottom Line, for example. Prioritising people and the planet, rather than profit and growth, is by the very definition of industry something new, though. Never before have we seen such a radical push to reformulate its core objectives.

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, once said, ‘The future of industry is about creating value for customers and society. It's about using technology to drive efficiency, reduce waste and create new products and services that improve people's lives’. This is an important statement that reminds us that technology should first and foremost improve our lives and make them better. ©℗