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But how? What does it actually mean for production print and what impact is it expected to make?

Industry 4.0 brought us advancements like automation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics.

Next is Industry 5.0. It focuses on emphasizing human collaboration, personalization, sustainability, and creativity, all while leveraging cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and smart manufacturing systems.

It has the potential to reshape how production print businesses operate and deliver products to consumers.

The latest industrial evolution in production print blends advanced technology with a renewed focus on human creativity and sustainability. Understanding and embracing Industry 5.0 is not just an opportunity: it's a necessity for staying competitive in an increasingly dynamic marketplace.

What is Industry 5.0?

Industry 4.0 centered on automation, data exchange and the Internet of Things (IoT) – bringing unprecedented levels of efficiency through robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart technology.  

Industry 5.0 takes this further. It reintroduces the human element and places importance on the collaboration of people and machines. 

This trend fosters greater resilience by enabling agile responses to market shifts. It’s important for print providers to adapt to changing scenarios, for example: customers requiring different turnaround times or levels of personalization; keeping up with technological changes; and stricter sustainability requirements.  

In other words, human intelligence and creativity work alongside advanced technologies to create more personalized, sustainable, and innovative products.

How is it affecting production print?

Industry 5.0 is set to have a significant impact on print professionals by offering these key benefits:  

  • Human-machine collaboration (cobots): Exploring the synergy between human expertise and robotic precision will make many advances possible. For production print, this means integrating collaborative robots – or cobots – to help with tasks like material handling, reducing physical strain, and leaving skilled operators free to focus on quality control and creative problem-solving. Unlike traditional industrial robots that operate independently, cobots are designed to work alongside human operators, enhancing productivity while maintaining flexibility.
  • Data-driven decision-making: Printers can use predictive maintenance to reduce downtime, optimize resource allocation, and enhance overall operational efficiency. Thanks to the integration of IoT sensors and advanced analytics, which will enable real-time monitoring of production processes.
  • Personalization: The convergence of AI, IoT, and real-time data will enable print providers to offer highly-customized print products – tailored to individual customer preferences. As a result, they’ll need adaptive production systems capable of handling shorter print runs without sacrificing efficiency or quality. 

Limiting environmental impact

Important too, is sustainability from reducing waste and conserving resources to minimizing environmental impact.

Digital printing technology already enables on-demand production, reducing the need for large print runs and the associated waste. In the future, printing companies will be able to fine-tune their operations further through real-time data analytics to optimize ink and paper usage, resulting in less waste.

Additionally, smart sensors integrated into printing machines can monitor emissions and energy consumption, automatically adjusting processes to reduce environmental impact.  

Responsible manufacturing techniques and sustainable product creation is essential as Industry 5.0 supports print production operations in their drive to offer a level of service that genuinely exceeds customer expectations, creates memorable experiences and forges lasting partnerships. 

By finding the balance between technological advancement and human creativity they will be more able to deliver innovative, customized, and eco-friendly solutions to meet the ever-changing demands of the market.

Creative collaboration

Konica Minolta helps operations achieve this by listening to their needs, defining their current status and collaboratively charting a customized course towards future success.  

As a trusted partner, we help build open workflow systems to foster creativity and nurture a workforce equipped to thrive in the digital age.

Learn more about how we can help you too
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