The Fifth Industrial Revolution is knocking at the door and has already caused significant impacts. After all, industry is a sector that updates itself in accordance with market demand.
Furthermore, working in technology has always meant building today while thinking about the future. Bringing this idea to the industrial sector, rather than just applying the Industry 4.0 concept in today’s factories, it is time for IT managers worldwide to also think about what comes next.
Although the term Industry 4.0 is widely discussed, discussions among professionals in the field already have another focus: the Fifth Industrial Revolution.
In this scenario, machines, systems, and people must work together, making the outcome more efficient and the process more strategic.
To understand this scenario, its impacts, and the technologies present in this increasingly close reality, continue reading this article.
Summary:
What is the Fifth Industrial Revolution?
Are we close to a Fifth Industrial Revolution?
What will drive the Fifth Industrial Revolution?
What will be the impacts of this revolution?
What is the Fifth Industrial Revolution?
Following the beginning of the First Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century, a series of social and economic changes ensured constant technological development that directly affected industries.
In this process, the Fifth Industrial Revolution is increasingly close, according to scholars, to expanding the impacts already being experienced in Industry 4.0.
The main issue, however, lies in the alignment of artificial and human intelligence, especially regarding robotic technology.
We are beginning to invent robots capable of behaviors very similar to humans, but anyone who thinks they will replace us is mistaken.
On the contrary, one of the characteristics of the Fifth Industrial Revolution is precisely the active participation role of humans, increasing the productive capacity and efficiency of the industry.
Additionally, this scenario aims to materialize with robust automation technologies that optimize production processes and the rise of quantum computing.
Are we close to a Fifth Industrial Revolution?
For many professionals in the sector, it may seem strange to talk about a Fifth Industrial Revolution when we are only now solidifying Industry 4.0.
But think about this: since the First Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the speed at which technology advances has also shortened the time between significant innovations that change the production paradigm worldwide.
This is a continuous process. From the first to the second revolution, it was a whole century of transformations. Between the second and the third, a little less than that, until information technology and telecommunications began to drive the corporate environment. From there to the fourth, it took 20, at most 30 years.
Following this trend, it is time to prepare for a new moment. According to a study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the growth projection for robotic technology is quite significant.
The forecast is that by 2030, this market’s revenue will rise to US$ 260 billion, one hundred times higher compared to the projection for 2021.
Furthermore, the BCG study predicts that service robots will become sector leaders and reach global revenues of up to US$ 170 billion by 2030.
In other words, while much of the industry still hesitates to adopt technology, those who go ahead by applying available services and products to new manufacturing techniques will pull ahead.
And if you stop to pay attention, all the signs of this change are already infiltrating our lives and our work.
What will drive the Fifth Industrial Revolution?
It is difficult to predict what a new wave of innovation will bring to the industry. In 1970, when computers became popular for corporate use, it was hard to extrapolate that technology to the use of cloud computing, which is common today.
The automation of machines and production chains is a more predictable evolution, and any professional in the field is already familiar with and ready for it.
But what will truly change lies in the relationship between humans and machines, as well as the way IT can guide them toward a new production model.
If you already work with smart traceability, you probably have a system that centralizes, integrates, and manages machinery operations. But what if this role becomes less about management and more about a strategic and collaborative function with the machines?
This is what artificial intelligence, using Big Data, machine learning, and deep learning, promises.
The idea is that in this new industry, these equipment will be able to manage their own productivity, in addition to adapting on their own in pursuit of greater efficiency.
What will be the impacts of this revolution?
There is a lot of new information and challenges when discussing the Fifth Industrial Revolution, because undoubtedly the changes bring many impacts.
This is because it will be necessary to adapt to new or more robust technologies characteristic of this revolution, which promise to significantly optimize production time. However, these changes should be worthwhile, as the Fifth Industrial Revolution is expected to impact more than just production optimization.
Process automation will be another major change in industries, which should also present a significant reduction in costs and waste, better forecasting, and prevention of errors and delays.
Of course, with this, profit margins tend to be higher. Additionally, changes should also be felt by customers, who will become more satisfied with the quantity and quality of products produced in less time.
These developments encompass an even larger scenario: that of businesses. All sectors of an organization can benefit from the advancements of the Fifth Industrial Revolution.
Whether in human resources, marketing, or other departments, data will be important allies in building better training, more assertive hirings, faster processes, and safer controls.
Technologies like big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence must be increasingly integrated with human intelligence to create new production and business models.
Furthermore, the impacts of the Fifth Industrial Revolution extend to the management of time, people, and the organization itself, which transitions to more efficient and strategic processes.
What will happen to the human factor in this scenario?
The use of new technologies and innovations does not mean your role becomes obsolete; quite the contrary.
The role of an IT manager in this scenario is to be more than a monitor—a systems partner capable of feeding these intelligences with the necessary data.
After all, industrial customization will play an important role in this new revolution. The ability to shape technological systems to the specific needs of each company will become a significant competitive advantage.
If these intelligences can function on their own, they need strategic vision more than ever—and this is where a very important human factor comes in.
The ability to seek partnerships and implement solutions that deeply impact industry success is an opportunity in your hands.
In other words, perhaps the union of people, machines, and systems, in a joint effort to find new means and production processes (such as reorganizing factories with smarter equipment and using the Internet of Things), is the key to a new revolution!
What technologies are present in the fifth revolution?
Now that you have a better understanding of the scenario, we have brought the main technologies present in the Fifth Industrial Revolution.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence refers to the ability of systems and equipment to make decisions autonomously.
To achieve this, however, it is very commonly associated with big data, analytics, and machine learning, which together represent the entire process of data collection, analysis, and machine learning.
Artificial intelligence, therefore, manages to bring greater time and cost savings to projects, and can be used to automate customer service or even in medicine.
It is possible to analyze a series of data such as exams, studies, research, and other digital knowledge to provide more comprehensive diagnoses, for example.
Big Data
Big DataBig data is another data-related technology, more precisely the processes of analyzing large volumes and varieties of data.
With this, industries are expected to make process-related decisions based on information and local process analysis.
Thus, big data should establish a greater connection among all aspects involved in the production process.
All of this happens in real time and, combined with machine learning, it is also possible to further refine the production chain, finding bottlenecks and avoiding waste.
Internet of Things
Internet of ThingsAnother technology present in the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolution is the Internet of Things, which presents countless connection possibilities.
Through it, it is possible to create entire transport, sanitation, and lighting infrastructures, connecting everything to operate automatically and intelligently.
With this, it also becomes possible to forecast consumption trends, identify and correct inconsistencies, and much more.
Machine Learning
Machine LearningAs we have already mentioned, machine learning will also be present in the Fifth Industrial Revolution, using algorithms to recognize and organize patterns so that computers can learn.
This provides detailed conditions for systems and machines to execute increasingly complex tasks.
Examples of this are robots capable of maintaining a conversation that adapts based on patterns and calculations.
In industry, for example, it is possible to have machines learning in real time how a certain process works, while also generating various insights.
Deep Learning
Deep LearningGoing a step further, deep learning is set to bring even more precision, as it is based on high-level algorithmic learning.
This machine learning artificially copies the neural network of the human brain, creating multiple non-linear processing layers that simulate human thought formulation.
This allows us to imagine countless scenarios which, combined with the ever-increasing volume of data, enable autonomous recognition of images, sounds, and languages.
Cloud Computing
Cloud ComputingAnother technology present will be cloud computing, with data storage and processing on remote servers.
Already widely used, cloud computing allows greater business scalability, space savings, and security.
With this technology, it is possible to have access to data from anywhere with an internet connection, helping to create and edit online documents, centralize information, and support remote work.
Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous VehiclesWith this entire innovation scenario, the Fifth Industrial Revolution also promises the creation of fully autonomous vehicles.
Whether for cargo or passenger transport, autonomous vehicles will use many previously mentioned technologies, combined to travel routes without any human interference.
Additionally, discussions increasingly consider the creation of smart roadways with synchronized traffic lights and automatic lighting.
Robotics
RoboticsAs we mentioned, robotics will be present in the Fifth Industrial Revolution, bringing robots equipped with artificial intelligence and learning capabilities. With them, it will be possible to perform surgeries with safer and less invasive procedures.
Furthermore, in industries, various processes can benefit from the integration of smart machines that can replace repetitive tasks and pave the way for employees to perform more strategic functions.
Renewable Energy Sources
Renewable Energy SourcesFinally, another promise concerns energy, which currently consumes many natural resources and harms the planet.
With the advancement of technologies and sustainability agendas, investments in clean energy generation are expected to increase.
Clean and renewable sources such as solar and wind energy are expected to be further expanded and accessible, bringing better quality of life and nature preservation.
Are you ready for this future?
If artificial intelligence and automated machines have not quite reached that point yet, you can anticipate and get ahead when this new market starts its race.
How can this be done? By investing in technology now and replacing your team’s support role with a focus on service management.
Preparing for the Fifth Industrial Revolution means embracing your importance in the company’s decision-making from now on. And more than that: it means seeking, through technological solutions, new ways to be efficient via automation, intelligence, and collaboration with machines. It’s time to start!
And you, are you already transforming your company from the inside out? Share your experiences related to the topic here in the comments!
