Use of enabling technologies with industry 5.0 to align with sustainability in the construction industry

Abstract

The shifting industrial landscape of Industry 5.0 demands adaptability to technological advancements, emphasising human-machine interaction. The enabling technologies facilitate the transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0, ensuring technological advancements align with human well-being and sustainability. However, limited literature exists on their application with Industry 5.0 in construction, particularly focusing on sustainability. Addressing this gap, this study investigates how to use enabling technologies with Industry 5.0 to align with sustainability in the construction industry, through a qualitative research approach, employing two rounds of semi-structured expert interviews using the Delphi technique. Manual content analysis was used to analyse the empirical data. Findings revealed that human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience are key elements of Industry 5.0 validating their applicability in construction. This study further highlights nine enabling technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, Collaborative Robots, and Digital Twins as the most impactful for transforming the construction to Industry 5.0. Detailed insights were gathered on leveraging these technologies with each Industry 5.0 element. The findings underscore the importance of integrating these advanced technologies to improve efficiency, safety, and sustainability in construction projects. This research provides strategic insights for industry stakeholders to adopt Industry 5.0 principles, promoting smarter, more resilient, and sustainable construction practices.