Industry 5.0

Slovenia on the threshold of the 5th Industrial Revolution

11th March 2025 – Slovenia is on the verge of a global technological game-changer that will transform the economy and society.

Today’s national forum presented the key challenges, opportunities and objectives of this new industrial model. Industry 5.0 focuses on people, sustainability and economic resilience, and enables synergies between advanced technologies and human needs. The Forum was organized by the Inštitut NAPREJ, the Ljubljana Technology Park and the Institute 5.0 Institute, together with a number of other partners.

The Forum gave visitors an insight into the essence of Industry 5.0. Renowned speakers answered many questions, including why the transition to Industry 5.0 is revolutionary, what changes it brings and why the fear of machines and robots dominating humans is unnecessary. Attendees also had the opportunity to get up close and personal with Industry 5.0. They could try on VR goggles, talk to AI Chatbot about Industry 5.0 and get a closer look at the world of robotics.

“Our job is to give companies access to new technologies and support them in their deployment. At the same time, we need to develop ecosystems that facilitate the transition to an advanced industrial model.”

– Dr. Jernej Pintar, Director of Ljubljana Technology Park

Key aspects of Industry 5.0

Industry 5.0 is not just about technological upgrading, it is also about a holistic transition towards a sustainable and human-centred economy. At the heart of this new industrial revolution is the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, digital twins, the Internet of Things (IoT), with a focus on reducing the environmental impact of industry and increasing quality of life. Dr. Jože Guna from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering at the University of Ljubljana pointed out that the transition to Industry 5.0 is a key strategic step that will enable the transition to a future economy based on innovation, a circular economy and advanced technologies.

“Slovenia has all the necessary conditions for a successful transition, as we have strong academic and research support, which is crucial for further development of technologies and implementation of new solutions in practice.”

The role of the state and European policies

Mag. Ksenija Klampfer, Minister for Digital Transformation of the Republic of Slovenia, emphasized in her address that the transition to Industry 5.0 will enable Slovenia to become one of the leading countries in Europe in the field of sustainable development and advanced technologies. “This transition will strengthen the competitiveness of our companies, while at the same time stimulating innovations that will bring new economic opportunities,” said the Minister.

Marko Lotrič, President of the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia, stressed the importance of policy and legislation in the successful transition to Industry 5.0: “In order to manage the risks of the transition to Industry 5.0, we need to build strong and strategic partnerships between state institutions, businesses and research organizations. Only through a coordinated approach between business, science and government will we be able to secure Slovenia’s place among the leading countries in innovation and socially responsible progress.” He added that Slovenia has the opportunity to become a European pioneer of Industry 5.0 – “it is time to harness our potential and create the conditions for a future based on advanced technologies, high quality of life, economic resilience and environmental responsibility.”

Jernej Štromajer, Secretary of the Strategic Economic Council at the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, pointed out that a successful transition to Industry 5.0 will significantly increase Slovenia’s competitiveness on the global market. “Industry 5.0 represents an opportunity for Slovenia to become a leader in the use of advanced technologies such as digitisation, artificial intelligence and smart systems.”

“To manage the risks of the transition to Industry 5.0, we need to build strong and strategic partnerships between government institutions, businesses and research organisations. Only through a coordinated approach between business, science and government will we be able to secure Slovenia’s place among the leading countries in innovation and socially responsible progress.”

– Marko Lotrič, President of the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia

Key benefits of Industry 5.0

Key benefits of the transition to Industry 5.0 include:

Job creation – The European Commission forecasts that the transition to Industry 5.0 will create more than 10 million new jobs in the EU by 2030.
Sustainability and circular economy – Industry 5.0 allows to reduce the environmental impact of industrial processes, reducing resource consumption and CO2 emissions. Companies using digital twins and other advanced technologies can optimise their production and reduce waste and energy consumption. The development of self-repairing materials, biocomposites and nanomaterials, allows for more sustainable and higher-performance products. 3D printing and additive manufacturing bring greater flexibility and waste reduction.

Personalisation of production – Industry 5.0 allows production to be tailored to the needs of each customer without increasing costs or reducing production speed. More and more companies in Slovenia are integrating Industry 5.0 into their production processes. One such company is HIProject, which offers unique, advanced and reliable solutions in the field of thermal processing. They have integrated heavy industry and green technology with a blue approach. Urban Pevnik, Director of the Institute for Industry 5.0 and HIProject, presented how advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics are key to the implementation of Industry 5.0 in Slovenia: “With technologies such as digital twins, we are creating production systems that are more flexible, more efficient and more sustainable. This approach will make companies more resilient to economic and environmental challenges in the future.”

Putting people at the centre – Unlike Industry 4.0, which was based on automation and connectivity, Industry 5.0 combines artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT) with human intuition to create smarter and more flexible production systems. Machines and people are harmoniously connected. However, the successful implementation of change clearly requires the cooperation of all stakeholders.

Dr. Jernej Pintar, Director of the Ljubljana Technology Park, stressed the importance of cooperation between companies, research institutions and government authorities: “Our task is to provide companies with access to new technologies and support in their implementation. At the same time, we need to develop ecosystems that facilitate the transition to an advanced industrial model.”

Building on EU support and the international context

Laura Roman, Industry 5.0 Community of Practice representative at the European Commission, pointed out that the transition to Industry 5.0 will not only be an advantage for Slovenia, but will also enable the whole EU to achieve better economic growth and greater sustainability. “By using advanced technologies such as IoT, artificial intelligence and robotics, the EU is enabling companies to move towards more competitive and sustainable business models,” said Laura Roman.

The EU is already supporting a number of projects that are promoting the transition to Industry 5.0. These include programmes such as Horizon Europe, the Green Deal and the European Industrial Policy Strategy, which enable companies to grow and develop sustainably in line with European objectives.

Good practice and global competitiveness

Industry 5.0 is not limited to Europe, as many countries around the world are already innovating based on advanced technologies. Anton Horvatič, Director of the Inštitut NAPREJ, highlighted the example of Sweden, where SMEs have started to use technologies such as robotics and IoT to increase productivity and reduce costs.

“Our Institute has a mission to ensure a more effective link between science and business. This is the only way to make the Slovenian economy more competitive with higher added value products. Industry 5.0 is an opportunity to narrow the development gap with the world’s most advanced economies.”

– Anton Horvatič, Director of the Inštitut NAPREJ

Japan is an example of a country that is already deeply involved in this new industrial revolution and is changing society, not least because of unfavourable demographic trends. In the US, companies such as Boston Dynamics are using AI-equipped robots to perform more precise and personalised surgical procedures. This is just one example of how Industry 5.0 is transforming industry while enhancing people’s quality of life.

Conclusion of the Forum and the future of Slovenia

At the end of the Forum, Co-Chair Tadej Slapnik emphasised that Slovenia has all the necessary conditions for a successful transition to Industry 5.0. “If we seize the opportunities offered by this industrial revolution and bring together researchers, entrepreneurs and politicians, we can become a leader in the development of sustainable and advanced industrial models.”

The Forum adopted a declaration, summarised by Aleš Pevc, co-chair of the Forum, calling for Slovenia’s active involvement in the development of Industry 5.0. It is crucial for the country to identify and exploit the potential in this area. We are entering a new era, the revolutionary Industry 5.0, which combines human creativity and technology, and Slovenia can undoubtedly become a leader in the development of innovative and sustainable industrial solutions for the future.

Written by Lea Škrubej