Abstract
Industry 5.0 (I5.0) represents a major shift from automated processes of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) to systems that put people first. I5.0 calls for a deeper focus on human centricity, especially on worker wellbeing and human-machine collaboration. This paper recognizes the synergy between the goals of I5.0 and service design. It uses a semi-speculative approach to explore the role of service design as a catalyst to the transition to I5.0, integrating service design’s core principles of empathy, co-creation and holistic systems thinking intro industrial processes. It examines the key challenges to the transitions and highlights how service design can support. It emphasises the need for interdisciplinary collaboration among industry practitioners, policy makers and service designers. It offers pathways for future research, highlighting how service design can enrich how I5.0 drives innovation, improves work quality and supports a sustainable, resilient industry.
Keywords
Industry 5.0, Service Design, Future of Work, Industry 4.0
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/servdes2025.89
Citation
Mahamuni, R.,and Lobo, S.(2025) Role of Service Design in the era of Industry 5.0, in Mahamuni, R., Onkar, P. (eds.), ServDes 2025: Empowering Diversity, Nurturing Lasting Impact, 6–10 October, Hyderabad, India. https://doi.org/10.21606/servdes2025.89
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Role of Service Design in the era of Industry 5.0
Industry 5.0 (I5.0) represents a major shift from automated processes of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) to systems that put people first. I5.0 calls for a deeper focus on human centricity, especially on worker wellbeing and human-machine collaboration. This paper recognizes the synergy between the goals of I5.0 and service design. It uses a semi-speculative approach to explore the role of service design as a catalyst to the transition to I5.0, integrating service design’s core principles of empathy, co-creation and holistic systems thinking intro industrial processes. It examines the key challenges to the transitions and highlights how service design can support. It emphasises the need for interdisciplinary collaboration among industry practitioners, policy makers and service designers. It offers pathways for future research, highlighting how service design can enrich how I5.0 drives innovation, improves work quality and supports a sustainable, resilient industry.