Faculty of Mechanical Engineering will ease European companies' transition to Industry 5.0

Human orientation, sustainability, and resilience - these are the foundational pillars of the so-called Industry 5.0. The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering will assist small and medium-sized enterprises, startups, and scale-ups in various industrial sectors with its adoption.

The project will progressively analyze 14 case studies from different countries of the European Union and key industrial sectors crucial for the European economy including manufacturing, services, education, energy, aviation, automotive industry, and healthcare. Adopting Industry 5.0 in these sectors will support not only business development but also their ability to adapt to new challenges. The output will be a set of advice and recommendations.

The Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at the faculty will be responsible for mapping local and industrial ecosystems, risk management, intellectual property, and will assist with planning, technical oversight, and the implementation of data collection or the preparation of a communication strategy. "Together, we will create new solutions and innovations, improve skills and thinking in the field of Industry 5.0, and study pilot projects to test and measure the impact of Industry 5.0 on various aspects not only in the industrial world," said Pavel Raška from the project team.

The project also includes raising awareness about Industry 5.0 through workshops, seminars, and online platforms for sharing successful case studies, examples of good practice, challenges, and the latest trends. The results of the project will lead to a more inclusive and sustainable industry in the European Union countries and will help to more easily acquire the skills needed for the transition to a new developmental branch in the industry.

The international Prospects 5.0 project started this year and will run until the end of 2026. The University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (UWB) is part of an international project consortium, which has 30 partners from 14 European countries, such as Norway, Latvia, France, Spain, Portugal, and Greece. In addition to UWB, Belgian universities in Leuven and Ghent, the university in Modena, Italy, and a number of technological and research organizations from other countries are also involved.