Realization of Sustainable Development Goals with Disruptive Technologies by Integrating Industry 5.0, Society 5.0, Smart Cities and Villages

Abstract

Significant changes in society were emphasized as being required to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, a need which was further intensified with the emergence of the pandemic. The prospective society should be directed towards sustainable development, a process in which technology plays a crucial role. The proposed study discusses the technological potential for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals via disruptive technologies. This study further analyzes the outcome of disruptive technologies from the aspects of product development, health care transformation, a pandemic case study, nature-inclusive business models, smart cities and villages. These outcomes are mapped as a direct influence on Sustainable Development Goals 3, 8, 9 and 11. Various disruptive technologies and the ways in which the Sustainable Development Goals are influenced are elaborated. The investigation into the potential of disruptive technologies highlighted that Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 are the most supportive development to underpin the efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The study proposes the scenario where both Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 are integrated to form smart cities and villages where the prospects of achieving Sustainable Development Goals are more favorable due to the integrated framework and Sustainable Development Goals’ interactions. Furthermore, the study proposes an integrated framework for including new age technologies to establish the concepts of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 integrated into smart cities and villages. The corresponding influence on the Sustainable Development Goals are also mapped. A SWOT analysis is performed to assess the proposed integrated approach to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, this study can assist the industrialist, policy makers and researchers in envisioning Sustainable Development Goals from technological perspectives.

1. Introduction

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an integrated agenda which is composed of environmental, social and human developmental objectives [1]. This framework includes 17 goals and 169 targets. In the overview given by [2], the aspirations for global sustainability, i.e., the SDGs, were discussed. The aim of the study conducted by [3] was to systematically analyze the studies conducted on SDG interactions considering 70 peer-reviewed articles. The results were grouped into four themes in SDG interaction research such as: (a) a general overview of policy challenges; (b) conceptualization methods of SDG interactions; (c) data sources leveraged so far; and (d) frequently used analysis methods. The study conducted by the authors of [4,5] included a careful observation of various aspects of society 5.0, the co-creation of the future and how to deal with the SDGs. On analyzing the targets of each SDG, there exist interlinkages between them. These interlinkages can induce a synergic (one goal’s progress may promote the progress in other goal) or a trade-off effect (one goal’s progress may hinder the progress in other goal). This phenomenon is illustrated in [6]. In the study conducted by [7], the synergies are defined by positive correlations that exist between the indicator pairs. These values exceeded the trade-offs (negative correlations) in most goals of the SDGs. Figure 1 illustrates the percentage of articles focusing on every 17 SDGs between 25 July 2022 and 22 August 2022. It can be observed that SDG 9 and 16 are the least focused goals. Studies also suggest that focusing on achieving SDG 7 and SDG 9 induces a more pronounced synergic effect across SDGs and it will aid in achieving SDGs in a shorter time span [8]. While there are numerous studies proposing strategies for attaining SDG 7 [9,10,11], there are fewer studies emphasizing the strategies and providing directions towards the attainment of SDG 9. Technological development, innovation and industrial advancement directly align with the targets of SDG 9; however, a head start in achieving the SDGs can only be induced if conjoined efforts take place in the other SDGs.

Several methods and strategies can pave the way for achieving the SDGs, but the most effective way would assist in achieving the SDGs in a shorter time span. An exhaustive analysis on ways to achieve the SDGs is significant for the SDG community. This can bolster the policy makers in channeling the required support. Often it is recommended to choose a strategy or approach having lesser uncertainty. On investigating the various categories of approaches in attaining SDGs, it can be observed that a technology-driven approach is the least uncertain in comparison with human development, economic and environment-focused approaches [6]. Therefore, technology can be considered as the tool to hasten the progress in SDGs.

Among the various technologies, disruptive technologies are the most revolutionary and have huge future potential to drive humanity into sustainable development. In such a case, it is required to assess the role of disruptive technologies on SDGs and how they can aid in achieving SDGs in shorter span. This study is presented to address this research question and explain the influence of disruptive technologies on SDGs qualitatively. Furthermore, the SDGs’ interaction created by the disruptive technologies are also identified and mapped. A comprehensive analysis has been accomplished to observe the impacts of disruptive technologies on each SDG.

Disruptive technologies can contribute to SDGs and the Green New deal, but they do require significant disruption socially, economically and politically [13]. A triple helix concept involving academic–industry–authority is proposed by Rowan and Casey for creating and sharing potential disruptive technologies [14]. Studies also emphasized blockchain-based solutions for achieving SDGs [15]. The influence of disruptive technologies in shaping the job market is presented in [16]. Apart from these benefits, the disruptive technologies also pave the way for sustainable education [17]. However, the prevalence of disruptive technologies and digitalization may induce disruption in social relations, human values, institutions and the nature of human cognition as well as experience [18]. Policies will also need to be updated to measure the impact of technologies by advancing the standards of test procedures and performance metrics [19]. Disruptive technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), image processing, artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data and smartphone applications can be coordinated and seamlessly connected to improve disaster management capabilities [20].

One of the promising directions of disruptive technology is Industry 5.0. Industry 5.0 will be built on the foundations of Industry 4.0 by emphasizing human-centered, resilient and sustainable design. Another significant development backed up the disruptive technology is the concept of Society 5.0 in which a highly integrated cyber and physical platform is created with humans playing a central role. Society 5.0 can proactively support the SDGs by creating prosperity, ending poverty and protecting the planet [21]. The authors of [22] conducted a critical review of the literature in their paper “Challenges and Opportunities for the Transition from Industry 4.0 to Society 5.0”. Similarly the authors of [23] compared Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 in order to better understand their relationship and interconnection. The comparison diagram illustrates the similarities and differences in four dimensions. Recently, the authors of [24] emphasized the potential enablers of an Industry 5.0-related framework for collaboration on sustainability, including digital transformation, the circular economy and the resilient economy.

Most of the studies have assessed the various aspects of disruptive technologies in contributing towards SDGs, however, it is crucial to map how these technologies can support each goal and the actual benefits offered by them in the progress. This will enable the researchers and policy makers to understand the dynamics for achieving SDGs in the long term. This study proposes to analyze the contribution of disruptive technologies in SDGs and map them to key transformative scenarios involving Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0. The technology-powered society gives rise to smart cities and villages, and the impact of such a scenario in attaining SDGs is also delineated. Finally, the contribution is extended to developing an integrated framework for identifying the influence of disruptive technologies on SDGs.

2. The Role of Disruptive Technologies in Sustainable Development Goals

2.1. SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing)

2.1.1. Disaster Management—A Case Study of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Disruptive technologies played a crucial role in the functioning of society during the COVID-19 pandemic [25]. Figure 2 shows a set of different new-age technologies and disruptive technologies along with major stakeholders in society and essential services rendered at the time of a pandemic. A set of disruptive and emerging technologies can be efficiently promoted and leveraged through the proper dissemination of information about technology advancements, possible applications, usages and integration with allied technologies. This is to ensure the overall development of the society at urban as well as rural stages, thus ‘capitalizing the connected world’.

During COVID-19, the emerging technologies played a crucial role in our daily lives. The connected devices ensured that human beings could obtain access to life-saving information, perform work remotely, were educated and relieved the already-overwhelmed health systems. The location data applications helped the researchers, field workers and healthcare workers understand the spread of the virus and how to track it. Online shopping and food delivery platforms ensured the accessibility of merchandise to people as much as possible. Through expanded markets supported by disruptive technologies, the day-to-day resources including medicines became available [26]. All these examples showcase the resiliency that technology can offer in the time of a pandemic disaster. COVID-19 made everyone understand that IoT and AI are not just emerging technologies but had become a part and process of the functioning of society and economy. To be specific, these tools should be considered as a much-needed infrastructure during this pandemic. It has become essential for the policies and protocols to be developed, to be adaptive, human-centered and inclusive in all means of life.

The learnings from the utilization of disruptive technologies in the management of the pandemic can be extended into the following four domains:

• Empathetic branding: The customers must be supported through empathetic communication strategies and assisted immediately during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brand should be established while the purpose of the organization should be promulgated to the customers. Campaigns should be run, and brand sentiment analysis should be conducted to understand the pulse of the market and the role played in it. Digital marketing and nano-targeting will be the enablers of this empathetic branding;
• Digitalized business models: The e-com relationships should be strengthened, while the emphasis should be placed on customer segments and active channels. The business processes must be verified for compliance with regulatory bodies. The network must be strengthened such that, even in the event of digital storms, businesses could easily continue to support clients and customers. Revenue streams must be found for the company to maintain sustainable growth. The next step would be to have direct, online sale platforms where a quality service is provided to the customers without the need for intermediaries. Automated help centers should be built to eliminate the presence of human support. The enablers for this would be digital adoption, direct-to-customer and drone deliveries;
• Remote collaboration: The employment model of working from home should be encouraged. Any tasks which do not add value or involve too many physical movements must be reviewed for their importance. Instead of this, cheap automated solutions can be considered as an alternative. The emerging technologies and automation can be leveraged to avoid the risks of contact with people. Remote sales, in the case of B2B, can make use of VR-like technologies to create a long-lasting impression while also accomplishing business deals. Vendors can be sought out in case of over-flow or short-term surge in demand. Remote working and the gig culture are the enablers in this regard;
• Virtualized sales and service: After-sale service models should be revisited to provide support to clients in the most feasible manner. The sales team should be managed with agility in which their roles are reinvented, involving restructuring and clear communication. The next action plan should be to increase the network capacity for increasing the digital sales’ demand. The call center executives should be provided with a virtual network in which they can access resources anywhere at any time. AR or visual search can be considered when there is a fault to be addressed. The enablers are chatbots, home contact centers, online sales and e-service.

Figure 3 exemplifies the COVID-19 problem and the innovative solutions provided in response, by quick measures of the modern physical system for service and manufacturing processes involved in cyber-physical production systems using technological devices into internet space. This internet space is a result of the amalgamation of the Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Services (IoS), Big Data and data mining.

2.1.2. Healthcare Transformation with Disruptive Technologies

Enhancing the healthcare quality and access to healthcare whilst keeping the costs under control remains a critical task due to the increasing age of and growth in the population; simultaneously, the increased expectation of life span and the pressures on public outlay spent on healthcare are some of the vital challenges faced by healthcare organizations all around the world. As an outcome of these kinds of challenges, almost every player in the extensive and complicated healthcare environments started intensifying their efforts in digital transformation and digitalization. Moreover, they are yet to experience the transformation of healthcare in terms of digitalization and also the need to invest even more in pursuit of digital health. By 2019, a 50% increase was observed in terms of robots’ utilization for delivering supplies, medications and also food all over the hospitals by the IDC (International Data Corporation). By 2020, certainly, the Care Plan Adjustments will be formed in terms of Real-Time utilization of data from wearable tools with Cognitive/AI. By removing complexity from patient-facing activities, the process provides precise details along with automating parts of regular work which should be executed by healthcare staff. For example, taking the case of an acute-care setting, to meet the expectations and requirements of the patient, resources can be freed-up.

2.2. SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

2.2.1. Disruptive Technologies in Nature-Inclusive Business Model

The Nature Risk Rising Report published by the World Economic Forum mentioned that there are abundant opportunities provided by nature to governments and businesses. According to research, nature, as well as natural activities, act as the prominent or supporting base for generating economic value close to USD 44 trillion i.e., half of the global GDP. When nature is exploited, a negative impact on economic growth is observed [27]. Whenever a dollar is spent on restoration of the nature, one gets back 9 USD in return through economic benefits [27], as cited in the report published by the World Economic Forum that the nature-dependent three major global sectors such as construction, agriculture and food and beverages contribute up to USD 8 trillion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the global economy; while their contributions stand at USD 4 trillion, USD 2.5 trillion and USD 1.4 trillion, respectively.

There is a bottleneck phenomenon observed across the globe in overcoming the global health crises and uplifting the economy from deep shock. The nature-dependent stimulus packages form the main portion in preventing such outbreaks in the future. Furthermore, the rural economy is the prominent beneficiary of strategizing the investigations in natural capital. This turnaround tends to safeguard the supply of sustainable food and commodities for the future. However, the governments, businesses and local-level players must act together with a strong vision and the entities should be empowered with targeted financial interventions. These activities must be quickly and effectively incorporated not only to recover the economy but in the long run to secure the globe for a healthy and productive society. The World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey conducted by [27,28] mentioned the evolution risks involved in bio-diversity loss and a set of factors that should be considered such as the value of nature, accounting for the people as natural capital and calculating the costs incurred by the degradation of the ecosystem without economic development to manage and mitigate the risks.

The business models proposed in recent days, i.e., the fourth industrial revolution, holds the capability to have an inclusive nature-positive development path that not only unlocks the value of nature but also reduces the exploitation of resources. The novel technologies, as well as circular economic models, possess enough potential to achieve the following: optimized usage of inputs; reduction in waste generation; and real-time tracking and monitoring of international agricultural and industrial supply chains. With the introduction of quick technological innovations, revolutions can also quickly occur in the coming years.

2.2.2. Overview of New Age Technology Market Potential

The disruption technology of the future may bring a broad range of implications for organizations, customers and the workforce. These technologies represent a challenge to both leaders and innovators who will need to revisit their entrepreneurial and business strategies for the future.

A range of next-gen technologies is expected to grow and flourish in the market for the year 2020 and beyond. A list of top 10 next-gen technologies is listed herewith along with their augmented market predictions for the next decade [29], published in this report compiling 10 technologies which are as follows:

• Artificial Intelligence: For the period 2019–2023, the global market size for artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to growth by USD 75.54 billion. According to the prediction by McKinsey, the production capacity of AI would be higher than that of the steam engines of the 1800s. The impact of AI on the global economy will be as much as 13 trillion USD by the year 2030, as per the report published by McKinsey [30]. AI is expected to add up to 1.2 per cent of GDP growth every year up to 2030. By 2022, 30% of all the cyber-attacks upon AI will target and exploit training-data poisoning, AI model theft or adversarial samples to attack AI-powered systems [31];
• Big Data Analytics: The Big Data analytics market is set to reach 275 billion USD by 2023, according to a research report. This also predicted a CAGR growth of 12 per cent between 2017 and 2023. This report also suggested that the top players in Big Data analytics would be IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, SAS Institute Inc., etc. [29];
• Drones: The growth of the drone market size across the globe is valued at 13.37 billion USD by December 2025. The expected CAGR growth will be 13.70 per cent according to the report published. The primary factors that drive this growth rate would be cost-effectiveness, accuracy and the ability to execute dangerous tasks such as inspecting utility pipelines. There is a way forward for the appropriate implementation of commercial drone services and framing the regulatory policies for the proper usage of drones. Awareness about UAVs must be created. A total of the top 100 drone companies were organized into categories by UAV Coach, based on their core service offerings using drones [29];
• Robotics: The report published in this area predicted the CAGR growth to be 26 per cent while the turnaround will be 210 billion USD by the year 2025. By the year 2020, the market is set to reach 100 billion USD. Attending to the industry reports, the industry is going to be flooded with cloud-based robot services. Furthermore, in the next five years, small and medium-sized companies will also start hiring robots based on their needs, thus creating new demand drivers. The authors of [32,33] conducted a study on End-User Development (EUD) for personalized applications, humanoid robots and IoT. They concluded with a possible research agenda applicable to the field. The presented conceptual framework facilitated a better understanding of the concepts involved and which factors should be considered in the designing of EUD environments for IoT and/or robots. This framework can also be used as a standard for conducting comparative analysis among different approaches and identifying novel discussion areas for further research. This technology tends to make robots perform tasks and missions by themselves, as illustrated by the authors of [34] who decoded the state-of-the-art techniques available for AI, its advantages and drawbacks and the future of the technology;
• Cybersecurity: By 2026, the market size for Cyber Security across the globe would be 345.42 billion USD while it is predicted to grow at a rate of 12.3 percent CAGR between 2018 and 2026. The cybersecurity industry will become the much-needed one due to increasing cyberattacks, malware, phishing threads and increasing adoption of IoT and bring your own device (BYOD) trends. The report further recommends that the encryption solutions’ segment is predicted to have significant market growth in this forecast period. By the year 2023, blockchain is expected to scale in technical viewpoints and is expected to support private transactions with the confidentiality of data preserved [31];
• Robotic Process Automation: According to Gartner, the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) delivered as a package with application integration is predicted to grow by 40% every year up to 2022. Furthermore, the market size of RPA across the globe is predicted to grow up to 3.97 billion USD by 2025 while its CAGR is predicted to be 31.1 percent. A few of the notable industry players would be Automation Anywhere, Inc.; Blue Prism Group Plc; UiPath; Be Informed B.V.; OpenSpan; and Jacada, Inc. [29];
• Cloud Computing: The market size of cloud computing was valued at 36.7 billion USD by 2018 and is expected to be USD 285.3 billion by 2025 with a 29.2 CAGR. Few notable players in the industry are Amazon Web Services, IBM, Salesforce, Aliyun, SAP, Google Cloud Platform, Oracle, Rackspace, Microsoft Azure, VMware Inc, Dell Inc, GIANT and EMC [29];
• IoT: The IoT market has some key players such as Facebook, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Microsoft, Dell Technologies, Apple, Intel Corporation, Google and Cisco. With a market value of 190 billion USD in 2018, the IoT (Internet of Things) market across the globe is expected to achieve 1111.3 billion USD by 2026 with a 24.7 per cent CAGR [29];
• Augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR): Global Augmented and in the year 2017, the market size of augmented virtual reality was recorded at 11.32 billion USD across the globe. It is projected to reach a CAGR growth of 63.3 percent from 2018 to 2025 while the total market share would be 571.42 billion USD. Prominent players in this market are Astrobotic, Swedish Space Corporation, Maxar Technologies Inc., Vector Launch Inc., Firefly Aerospace, BLUE ORIGIN and Virgin Galactic. In the year 2023, 30% of IT organizations are expected to proceed with the expansion of BYOD policies into “bring your own enhancement” (BYOE) to address the augmented humans in the workforce, as per Gartner [29,31];
• Autonomous Vehicle: Reports suggest that the autonomous vehicle market across the globe was yielding 54.23 billion USD in the year 2019. It is predicted to increase up to 556.67 billion USD by the year 2026 with 39.47 CAGR growth from 2019 to 2026. The prominent players in this market are Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, Volkswagen Group, General Motors, Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi alliance, AB Volvo, Volvo–Autoliv–Ericsson–Zenuity alliance, Groupe SA, Tesla Inc, BMW AG and Toyota Motor Corporation [29,31].

2.3. SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure)

2.3.1. Industry 5.0

Industry 4.0 is a collaboration between technologies and trends that is aimed at bringing change in conventional processes with the tool of digitalization [35,36,37,38,39,40]. Industry 5.0 is a revolutionary concept where man and machine work together and improve production efficiency through effective means. Industry 4.0 has a track record in the manufacturing industry from the time of the industrial revolution to digital transformation and beyond. Figure 4 showed a detailed depiction of the revolution from 1970 to the 21st century. Every stage denotes the occurrence of revolution in the manufacturing process and how it changed the functioning of the industry.

The focus of Industry 5.0 is the amalgamative functioning of humans and robots. Although automation and advanced manufacturing are the primary focuses, the human element also plays a crucial factor in this regard. Industry 5.0 can easily be explained through the functioning of a system via automated and efficient concepts while following traditional and customized humane touches. This kind of revolution fully integrates the automation processes in it and opens novel manufacturing opportunities for players in the medical world. Platforms such as the Internet of things (IoT) and the Internet of services (IoS) open new avenues of development. The novel manufacturing technologies, software, robots, sensors and other high-tech advancements ensure data exchange and connectivity.

In Figure 5, the points to be considered when comparing Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 are listed. The focus of Industry 5.0 is specifically on the interactions that occur between humans and machines. The world has already experienced the co-working of human beings with machines and there have been already smart manufacturing plants in place connected with devices. Industry 5.0 aims to push these interactions to the advanced human–machine interfaces [41,42]. Industry 5.0 is set to leverage automation and Big Data, innovative technology policy, responsible implementation science, 3D symmetry in innovation ecosystem design along with safety procedures. The integration is going to be improved, fast and better automated in line with human-being power.

Human intelligence and cognitive computing work in parallel to manufacture value-added products and goods of high caliber. The high-speed and accuracy of industrial automation will be coupled with the cognitive and critical thinking of human beings. So, instead of technology replacing the people, Industry 5.0 advances the roles played by them in manufacturing. The automation of repetitive tasks such as drilling or data entry lessens the work of human beings through collaborative systems. The human staff can be allotted highly responsible tasks such as system supervision, real-time decision making and critical thinking to increase the quality and production processes. The conjoined functioning of mechanical output and cognitive thinking does not lie in the far future. The data collection is automated in Industry 5.0 while the robotic systems and internet-connected devices can be fed with more inputs. Industry 5.0 is mostly about real-time data availability and seamless connectivity as well as interaction across systems. A simple example would be the reduction in machine tool downtime. The sensors in machine tools can detect the real-time tool lifetime depending on the degree of wear and tear it experiences from each machining process. The machine can communicate with the tool inventory to obtain a new cutting tool just in time, thus, reducing the downtime and enhancing productivity.

2.3.2. Technology Supporting Innovation and Product Development

The studies published earlier [43,44,45] forecasted a technological revolution that may holistically alter the lifestyle, working patterns and work–life balance. The magnitude of this transformation would be an altogether new experience in terms of scale, scope and complexity for human beings. The studies prove that disruptive technologies have huge potential which is yet to be unleashed. When Industry 4.0 is realized, then it may possibly generate revenue of 100 trillion USD for society and business in the upcoming decade [46]. McKinsey reported that the automobile sector is expected to double its revenue, i.e., 6.6 trillion USD in 2030 compared to 3.5 trillion USD in 2016. The growth percentage is expected to be 84 per cent when disruptive technologies are introduced such as electrification, shared mobility and connectivity. The companies must innovate new technologies for themselves in order to achieve this predicted growth. The industries realize now that novel technologies are the important links in the future value-chain process for innovation and product development.

According to [47], an analysis published by McKinsey, the sources of value that leverage technology to increase innovation and product development has the potential to increase 166 billion USD to 477 billion USD as new revenue. Furthermore, it can also add a margin expansion of 8 billion USD to 25 billion USD via smart and efficient R&D. The analysis further inferred that the connected products could increase 34 billion USD to 95 billion USD in revenue growth of the industry. Since the costs incurred upon sensors, computing and connectivity are reducing daily, the technology is being leveraged by leading companies to reinvent their products and services. These companies manufacture new products and services to have an edge over their competitors, thus, increasing their market share. Though it is challenging, the transformation must be accomplished in a structured manner. Different countries make use of various technologies to discover the affected people and their mobility. This is to mitigate the contamination risks and strategize proactively. In the study conducted by [48], a set of different disruptive technologies and how they interact with society using Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) were investigated, such as cloud computing, modern health care, augmented virtual and mixed reality, Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning (ML), automation and automated processes, smart home and smart city Artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots, genetic engineering, biotechnologies, digital–physical systems, autonomous vehicles, remote and cloud computing and advanced robotics/drone, advanced materials, 3D printing, adaptive security architecture and cybersecurity, advanced agriculture machinery, cyborgs and cyborgification, autonomous systems, energy storage, additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping, Big Data, digital currency, blockchain and many others. The intelligence machines of today’s technology can accomplish various high-level cognitive processes, such as decision making, problem-solving, learning, perceiving and thinking. When these AI machines are integrated with Big Data mining, data collection, data analytics and computer processing, they become empowered.

2.4. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)

Society 5.0

Society 5.0 is a human-centered society which can balance both economic development and social responsibility [5,49,50,51,52,53,54]. Society 5.0 was introduced in the fifth Science and Technology Basic Plan as a future society upon which Japan must set its heart. Society 5.0 can be referred to as a fresh innovative way to operate trading and the enhancement of digitalization even results in changes in society. The changes taking place in the field of technology have been taken into consideration in this concept. The major focus should be made on the common well-being of the citizens and target encouraging the development of an extraordinarily intelligent society. This operates on different and extensive implications, as stated in [55].

The authors of [56] argued that the initiative of Japan’s Society 5.0 seemed to be grounded in a vast discussion of the same, along with its potential negatives as well as the positive implications. The author of [52] elaborated on the post-humanization system and the demonstration after implementing a phenomenological anthropological model shows: (i) How different kinds of humans, as well as non-human members, are anticipated to be involved in Society 5.0 qualitatively varies via 4.0 from that of Societies 1.0; (ii) In what way the expected membership of Society 5.0 varies from Societies 1.0 to 4.0; (iii) How the dynamics of Society 5.0 could become conceptualized. In [57], the authors described the way in which mortality gets correlated in the era of Society 5.0 and indeed concentrated on the connection that existed between modern technology and religion. According to [58], the increased usage of smart technologies in the growth of Society 5.0 contains direct outcomes for people. The level of human activity is facing changes and extensions in the work environment involving digitization and AI. The majority of the traditional works are vanishing that in turn creates a necessity for retraining and coaching. The educational method should become ready for the innovative Society 5.0 with regards to both teaching and research. A discussion was initiated on disaster risk and the policies of climate change by [54], specifically in relation to Society 5.0 paying particular attention to inclusiveness and adaptation issues. It provides detailed information about the concepts and goals of Society 5.0, enhancing topics such as Cities and Regions, Healthcare, Finance, Logistics, Public Service, Energy, Agriculture and Food, Disaster Prevention and Manufacturing and Services and on how the policies of climate changes and disaster are connected within the new strategy. It further goes on to discuss many controversial problems that represent challenges or risk factors as well as opportunities for the application of the concept in a real intellectual manner.

In terms of criticism of Society 5.0, a greater quantity of personal data are gathered and shared with all the systems. The application of sufficient security measures is a complete mandate here. There exists an abundant opportunity for designing innovative solutions and services for enhanced networked systems coupled with applications. In [59], the study examined and formed the implementation of Society 5.0 in nations post-conflict. Knowledge automation is being developed for authorizing industrial automation and service automation. In addition to that, the study covered the formulation of real–virtual interaction that exists amid the cyber space and physical space and recognized the transformation of human attitudes from online–offline and offline–online [5].

A human-centered society should balance financial advancement along with the resolution of social issues. This is accomplished by a process which in particular combines physical space with cyberspace. “Society 5.0 attains a great range of convergence amid physical space (real space) and cyberspace (virtual space)”. When it comes to cyberspace, the extensive data are examined through artificial intelligence (AI) and the investigation outputs are integrated back into the people in the physical space in different forms. Society 5.0 attains the latest convergence between physical space and cyberspace which allows AI-oriented bigger data as well as robots to operate or aid the task and modifications which people have managed to do until now. This completely frees the human beings from daily cumbersome tasks and works at which they are not specifically efficient; and through the formation of innovative value, it allows for the provision of the products and services which are a necessity for the people who need them, thus, optimizing the whole social and organizational system. It would likely enlighten the Cabinet Office of Japan; the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) which were established by the United Nations intending to sort out social problems combined in accordance with nature, Society 5.0 will make its contribution to delivering on the SDGs of the United Nations. On 8 November 2017, [5] altered its Charter of Corporate Behavior which even adds a part on “Realization of a Sustainable Society”, along with the basic objective of delivering SDGs proactively by the formation of Society 5.0. It even summarizes the logic of “Society 5.0 for SDGs” and the pictures of key systems and technologies for 17 SDGs and Society 5.0 [51].

Figure 6 illustrates the societal shift to Society 5.0 directly from society 4.0. The authors of [60] suggested that trust alone will remain as one of the vital important sorts of social capital that are essential for victory in the digital world. With innovations, humans were successful anyway in enhancing the productivity of labor, widening the average life competency and span and increasing society’s wealth. For instance, the employees are offered wearable devices along with digital tools to operate more fluently in smart industries. Robots, which are controlled by human beings, are authorized by people perform physical jobs that require intense strength. The more effective the seamless integration, the better will be the manpower along with safety and productivity. To implement these types of technical innovations, the policy makers can motivate organizations to offer more coaching for the manufacturing technicians of the future generations to create a fair and smooth transformation from one sort of technology to another type. Furthermore, Society 5.0 should be aligned to discover more effectual actions to help to realize Society 5.0’s intentions for the sustainable development of goals and objectives via evident policy-making with the help of artificial intelligence.

Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 intend to form a sustainable society for the welfare and protection of humans with the help of the cyber–physical process. The authors of [60] highlighted the importance of CPS (cyber–physical systems). Integrating the concepts of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 can pave the way for a making a society much smarter, which is termed as a ‘super smart society’. The various developmental elements of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 supported by disruptive technologies contributing to the super smart society are illustrated in Figure 7. The data-driven approach will deliver the actions made by decision-makers to find solutions to overcome problems of society and financial development in society. In addition to that, 12 service platforms are created for developing an intellectual and smart society (Figure 7).

The convergence of these two concepts can be easily understood by using PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal) [61,62,63] to analyze the needs of both Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0 while framing the policies toward SDGs’ macro factors used in the scanning component for strategic management. Figure 8 provides different insights and inferences about the industrial revolution and the subsequent developments experienced by society.

Technological progress and innovation pave the way for new possibilities to support resilience in disaster along with the activities to reduce risk. Enhancements in areas of IoT, AI, Big Data, fifth generation (5G) wireless networks, and innovations in those areas since drone technology and robotics, are constantly in the process of transforming several fields that include disaster management or risk reduction. Ultimately, all the technological progress would underpin the integration of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0.

2.5. Other SDGs

Table 1. Disruptive technologies support for achieving SDGs.

SDG Goals	Disruptive Technologies Support
SDG 1 (No poverty)	Innovations backed up by disruptive technologies can make the products and services affordable and accessible. Disruptive technologies can create a rapid reskilling scenario which when realized by low-income groups, would be highly beneficial to lift themselves from poverty through jobs. Other digitalization approaches such as mobile banking and smart phone accessibility can improve the accessibility and, in turn, connect them to the opportunities in the world.
SDG 2 (Zero hunger)	Disruptive technologies including AI, ML and IoT can coherently function to reduce food waste and, it can potentially connect the people in-need and donors. The technology can radically improve and strengthen the food supply chain by imparting resilience, even in disasters such as COVID-19 pandemic. Constant monitoring of environmental factors through sophisticated disruptive technologies can provide real-time feedback to the food producers so that early actions can be implemented in order to prevent crop damage.
SDG 3 (Good health and Wellbeing)	Refer to Section 2.1. Extends the healthcare efficiency and accessibility through digitalized processes. Some examples include telehealth and chat-bot facilities. The strengthened connectivity between networks of doctors and patients would favor significant improvement in the wellbeing of all age groups.
SDG 4 (Quality education)	The digitalization-driven education elements such as smart classes, remote education and edu-tech companies pushes the limits and approaches for educating people. On the other hand, the emergence of disruptive technologies provides practical and quality education for all domains of people. It makes the younger generation well-prepared for the rapid changes in the technological domain as well as to carry out the changes in the prospective environment.
SDG 5 (Gender equality)	Gender equality is more pronounced in terms of accessibility. In such a case, disruptive technologies play a crucial role in accessing the credits, food and other resources. The skilled jobs, on the other hand, should be ensured with equal income across genders.
SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation)	With the aid of information and communication technologies, more efficient and effective ways to collect, monitor and optimize the water usage data for public, business, societal and ecosystem needs are possible. Integrated water resource management and smart home systems are some of the technologies that can highly favor the realization of SDG 6.
SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean energy)	With the growing renewable energy penetration, the requisite of smart grids and real-time monitoring of energy demand is of utmost importance. These are the inestimable contributions from disruptive technologies. The seamless integration of various power generation units and satisfaction of the dynamic loads would open numerous opportunities. This not only makes society resilient but also creates more job opportunities. Digitalization has the potential to expand access to clean energy access as well as enhancing its affordability.
SDG 8 (Decent work and Economic growth)	Refer to Section 2.2. Disruptive technologies support nature-inclusive business models as well as circular economy approaches. The future worth or contribution of disruptive technologies in the economy is elaborated in Section 2.2.2.
SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure)	Refer to Section 2.3. Disruptive technologies underpin the transition to Industry 4.0 as well as Industry 5.0. This ultimately enhances the productivity, efficiency, connectivity, resiliency and sustainability. Disruptive technologies open a broad new field and integrated applications where the potential for innovation is high. It may also become a fundamental entity in society, similar to electricity in present society. Therefore, progress in disruptive technology can be beneficial to societies’ infrastructure.
SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities)	Disruptive technologies, such as social media, can prevail as a tool to enhance awareness among people regarding the inequality and the opportunities to reduce them.
SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities)	Refer to Section 2.4 Smart mobility, restructured society, Society 5.0 are some of the high-potential concepts for promoting sustainable cities which are born from disruptive technologies.
SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production)	One of the huge benefits that disruptive technologies can provide is optimization. For reduced consumption of resources, optimized production and consumption is the way to go. Reduce, recycle and reuse can be underpinned by disruptive technologies.
SDG 13 (Climate action)	Accurate weather forecasting and real-time monitoring of ecosystems would not be possible without the aid of disruptive technologies. The progress in SDG 13 can be directly monitored with disruptive technologies, thus, anchoring our efforts.
SDG 14 (Life below water) SDG 15 (Life on land)	Similar to SDG 13, the predominant contribution of disruptive technology will be monitoring and promoting awareness about current progress.
SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and strong institutions)	There is a need to improve the policy coherence to be interdependent with each other while, at the same time, encountering sustainable development. Disruptive technologies can rapidly develop which mandates the policy institutions to be proactive to control the negative impacts created by these technologies.
SDG 17 (Partnerships for the goals)	Implementation of disruptive technologies at large scale requires networking of partnerships. This can aid in attracting capitalization and fostering the progress in other goals.

gives an overview of the support provided by disruptive technologies for each SDG. Conclusions are drawn to find the interactions between the SDG targets and to provide key insights into the transformative changes induced by disruptive technology. Furthermore, the robust nature of the evidence base for the undertaken SDG interaction can also be understood. These insights help to foster the adoption and implementation of disruptive technologies across all sectors.

3. Smart Cities and Villages as a Product of Integrated Disruptive Technologies

Both smart cities and smart villages are deemed to be one of the solutions to the increasing climate change effects in developing nations [64]. According to [65], smart cities are considered to be a service system which is in line with the principles of the Service-Dominant Logic and theories associated with service science. The authors of [66] explored the current trends associated with the initiatives of smart city, and [67] discussed smart cities as the only means of improving the economy using urbanization models, development issues and planning of cities in India. The authors of [68] claimed that urban–rural associations are lacking in the research community. Figure 9 illustrates the core infrastructure elements that make part of a smart city. In today’s scenario, developing nations have started to focus on the development of smart cities which is the only solution to becoming resilient and sustainable, for example, the authors of [69] argued that smart cities should consider the aspects of People, Technology and Institutions. For smart cities, technologies are the only means to realize resilient smart cities [70]. In addition, the researcher also describes the limitations and challenges in smart cities and their measures and the best practices to achieve a sustainable ecosystem. The authors of [71] suggested systems and taxonomy dimensions for smart cities, and in [72], the author explored the different factors that facilitate the development of smart cities, which represents one of the efforts to provide a clear view of the strategic choices when mapping out such a strategy. In [73], the authors suggested a methodology that implies the use of technology for the development of smart cities. Several researchers in the past have detailed the importance of sustainable development through smart villages [74]. Smart villages are also the only means to improve livelihoods in rural regions and counteract migration trends to urban regions. With the implementation of smart villages, there will be improvements to sustainable energy services which will further tend to enable good healthcare and education.

More than 1.3 billion people around the world in different nations still have no access to electricity. Furthermore, 3 billion people in the world cook using stoves that are dangerous and inefficient. Many of the people living in the world are in remote villages and have little or no access to energy. This implies that there is little progress being made by the governments of nations across the world to develop their economies. It is important to work with researchers and practitioners across the world to explore the influence of Smart Villages on the economy of nations. Researchers should consider the use of long-term impact assessment and baseline studies which will assist governments to use innovative agricultural technology, ICT access and cold storage [75]. Figure 10 displays the future smart village and governance system for development in rural areas by adopting various aspects of management.

The development of smart villages should be accompanied by a similar kind of attention that is provided to smart cities [76,77,78,79]. When it comes to regional and local development, it becomes crucial to look at the development of rural areas and other agricultural activities associated with it, for instance, developing a low-carbon economy. This important aspect is required because the share of agriculture in total GHG emissions is high. However, rural areas have the potential to leverage their resources to enhance carbon sequestration, mitigate the emission of GH, be a part of climate change arrest and make use of an agricultural activity to develop RES (Renewable Energy Sources). In terms of rural areas, sustainable development and SDGs are two important concepts since the natural environment plays a prominent role in the implementation of production functions and strategic objectives of the development of these areas.

Economic development and population growth are the outcomes that primarily rely on the sustained supply of water–energy–food (WEF) since they are the base of modern societies. Smart city and smart village concepts can be implemented across the nation to achieve this objective. Both circular economies, as well as disruptive technologies, form the key elements in smart cities and smart villages. In line with this, Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 concepts tend to introduce new dimensions for sustainable development. The concurrent accomplishment of water, food and energy security objectives may be threatened by the trade-offs and interconnections that exist between WEF resources. The concepts in smart cities and smart villages must be revisited in terms of well-being, safety, security and societal happiness. The outcomes of the increasing global population, the ever-growing desire for improved living standards and inextricable links among the three sectors altogether make the WEF nexus a vibrant research arena. To ensure the WEF systems are delivered in an integrated manner, it becomes a must to quantify WEF connections first. In this way, the synergies and trade-offs across the water, energy, and food sectors are understood. This is an important step taken forward toward an integrated WEF nexus modelling and management which is crucial for smart villages and cities [80,81,82,83,84].

Figure 11 shows the interlinkages across resources and the SDGs. The linkages between the SDGs and basic elements of life are obtained from [80]. The authors of [80] covered selective goals with respect to land, water, food, energy and materials. Similarly, the authors of this article have taken into consideration all 17 SDGs with respect to education, employment, technology, economy and health. There are clear linkages between all sectors, which is somewhat unclear in Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0. Hence, all sectors must be mutually considered when determining the activities under SDG. Secondly, the five NEXUS resources such as water, food, energy, materials and land should be considered wholly rather than discretely when deciding on SDG activities. Hence, any effect on a single sector will have a secondary effect on other sectors.

To achieve the smart villages and smart cities transformation, each segment must be recreated in accordance with the need to accommodate more and more for smart life. Every segment must be investigated with SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) objectives. The liquidity impact of the customer should be taken into account before decision-making. The customer’s sentiments towards the brand must be analyzed, tracked and forecasted. The audience must be clearly communicated to about the product or service and any communications must strictly adhere to the outcomes of sentiment analysis. Data can be leveraged to conduct empathetic campaigns. Any tone-deaf communications must be underplayed. The transformation from conventional business models to digital should be encouraged.

Virtual sales and services should be promoted, and the aim should be to increase the service demand over digital platforms. The illustration also emphasizes the need to analyze the delivery chains from nature to consumers’ hands in the case of every resource and how they are correlated with SDGs. In Figure 11, one can observe numerous insights into primary production, consumption and the circular economy followed by socio-economic supply systems and their distribution. There may be a few instances in which critical interlinkages may occur between corresponding or different layers. Thus, it remains a vibrant research area to quantify health, education, employment, technology and the economy. This is crucial to move ahead towards integrated SDGs’ modelling and management for designing important strategies for sustainable development in today’s dynamic and complex world.

Figure 12 shows the design protocol to move toward green engineering design to achieve the sustainability goals and overcome population growth instability. In addition to that, disruptive technology helps establish flawless development and enhanced quality of life in both developing and developed nations while at the same time not compromising on resisting the degradation of the environment and exploitation of resources [85,86,87,88,89,90].

4. Integration of New Age Technology for Achieving SDGs Framework

SDGs were designed by considering a holistic view of sustainable development in order to benefit humanity and the ecosystem. They involve the elements of human development, the economy, technology, resources, land and water, and environmental changes integrated into the path of sustainability. They are indeed complicated goals to achieve and the uncertainties involved are unprecedented and cannot be quantified. This requires a qualitative analysis for providing directions to achieve SDGs or to provide a beginning point such that maximum effectiveness can be accomplished.

This study provides a direction to researchers and policy makers, highlighting the potential of traversing along a technology-defined pathway to achieve SDGs. In particular, the emergence of disruptive technology has numerous reverberative effects across the SDG framework and thus, this study specifically investigates the role of disruptive technologies in the pursuit of SDGs. Disruptive technologies find several applications and penetrate almost all the domains, however, the predominant benefits favoring sustainability are achieved through two prime developments, i.e., Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0. The realization of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 would underpin the development of smart cities and villages. Although the development has a technological core, it requires support from other dimensions such as political, economic, security, investment and social acceptance. This conceptual mapping of the disruptive technologies is represented in Figure 13. From the previous sections, it can be inferred that the key influence of the disruptive technologies is felt in four SDGs, namely, SDG 3, SDG 8, SDG 9 and SDG 11. These are regarded as highly influenced SDGs. These four goals are of the utmost importance for the overall SDGs framework since they can foster progress in other goals through SDG interactions. The second group of goals involves those SDGs that experience partial benefits from disruptive technologies but are also influenced by the four highly influenced SDGs. This group of goals is termed as moderately influenced SDGs. This group includes SDGs 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 12. One can argue that SDG 7 is highly influenced by disruptive technologies due to the sophisticated technological contribution in enhancing the efficiency and optimization through smart grids and energy management approaches. However, SDG 7 is more focused on clean energy penetration when compared to efficiency improvements. Therefore, the overall contribution of disruptive technologies in SDG 7 is a fraction while the four highly influenced SDGs are completely uplifted in their prime focus. The third category includes the rest of the SDGs and is influenced in a cascaded approach, i.e., only through SDGs’ interaction. Hence, the category is termed as indirectly influenced SDGs. Therefore, when the implementation of disruptive technologies is viewed from the lens of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0, the influenced goals can be categorized into three types. Altogether, the role of disruptive technologies can cover the complete SDG framework and a cognitive cohesive block of the SDG framework is represented in Figure 14.

The direction of the researchers and policy makers can be focused on enhancing the factors presented in Figure 13. A comprehensive framework inclusive of data privacy and cyber security and updated policy changes is mandatory for the large-scale penetration of disruptive technology. The stepping up of implementation from industrial sectors to society to achieve both Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 is crucial and effective since then the technology would be mature enough to be adopted into society. One of the significant hindrances would be the initial capital investment for the enormous change. Nevertheless, the technological change towards disruptive technologies is inevitable, given the current direction of technological development. Consideration is emphasized only on the pace of implementation and the advantages that implementation can bring over the time. A SWOT analysis of the proposed direction to achieve SDGs with disruptive technology as the foundation is shown in

Table 2. SWOT analysis of the proposed integrated framework.

Strengths	Weaknesses
An integrated society built on technology is obtained Resilient industry and society are formed Efficient and data-driven optimization approach towards SDG can be achieved	More prone to cyber crimes Occurrence of continuous change due to the evolution of technology Significant reskilling is required across all age groups as time progresses
Opportunities	Threats
Focusing on eco-friendly and green approaches for implementing disruptive technologies would hasten the SDGs’ attainment Strong collaboration and partnerships can be developed in the construction of Industry 5.0, Society 5.0, smart cities and villages. Unprecedented innovations and learning can be obtained which, when put into use, may direct the pathway of sustainable development	Wide social acceptance is of utmost importance for implementing technology-driven society Proper policy framework is crucial in the pace of implementation as well as in attracting investments Data breaches, less focus on equity and complexity of the systems.

.

5. Discussion and Conclusions

This study is developed based on an extensive qualitative investigation and focuses on an emerging phenomenon of national importance. The study analyzed the literature to discuss the reverberation effect of disruptive technologies in various SDGs. The authors found the expected impacts of both a positive as well as a negative nature from the results. Disruptive technologies primarily influence the progress in four goals, namely SDG 3, 8, 9 and 11. This occurs via the digital transformation of healthcare, disaster management, novel nature-inclusive economic models, future potential worth of disruptive technologies, progression from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 and the formation of Society 5.0. It can be observed that the positive effects were predominant because of the positive secondary effects that were derived from Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 activities. Among all the benefits that disruptive technologies can offer, the reconstruction of industry and society is of the utmost importance, and this provides the foundation for further technological development. However, the environmental performance can only be achieved by integrating Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 with SDGs in an eco-innovation platform.

With the drastic increase in the development of novel digital technology, the transformation in industry is inevitable, leading us to Industry 5.0. The future technology can gather data, analyze and apply it to the daily functioning of machines so that the processes become efficient, and flexible and achieve high productivity at low cost. Society 5.0 is a closely interwoven concept dependent on societal reactions, public policies, homogeneous dissemination and legal frameworks. The heterogeneity is developed when nations and companies of different digitalized infrastructure levels start adapting to Society 4.0. This results in creating a space for non-sustainability patterns and inequality. It remains a key factor in responsible consumption among consumers, to practice the transparent exchange of information. This is because the consumer is empowered in this new phase and may pose risks if they are unaware of environmental concerns. Both Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 must emphasize the implementation processes to achieve craftsmanship and creativity among humans. Taking the environment as the new priority for the future, the circular economy must be brought into place, thus, emphasizing SDG 8.

The smart city concept collates ICT and the different physical devices integrated with IoT networks to efficiently operate the cities and render services to citizens. Thus, the authors propose that with the progression towards Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0, the foundations for smart cities can be laid effectively. Smart city technology enables city officials to have direct communication with individuals and with the infrastructure, monitor the city and forecast the evolution of the city. Being a community-based initiative, the smart village concept is aimed at introducing the advantages of next-gen technology to the rural population. In the climate-smart village approach, a framework is proposed as an integrated strategy that is aimed at increasing the adaptation options in agro practices. Though local-level achievements are experienced in climate-smart agro practices, most countries are yet to adopt them due to different hindrances. Locally, agriculture is not the priority, instead of which sanitation, health or education come first. Adaptation to climate change may bring non-agricultural strategies such as migration, outside employment and diversification from agriculture. The authors assessed the linkage between smart villages and smart cities in this research paper. This is to forecast the risks and threats posed upon cities and villages through proper mapping, planning, mitigation and management. The aim is to further overcome the challenges for wellbeing and quality of life in the city as well as in the village settings. The study also explored the values of the Big Data paradigm in the context of smart cities and villages and how this can be leveraged responsibly. In line with this, the article also discussed ways to promote socio-economic sustainability in smart cities and villages. Smart cities and smart villages altogether can highly favor the attainment of technology-centered SDGs and in turn, can exert influence on the other SDGs through SDG interactions.

To conclude, the current study can act as a guideline for practitioners, governments and stakeholders to manage the results that emerge from the massive adoption of technologies. Furthermore, the expected positive impacts can also be supported based on the study findings through financial initiatives and policy making. There should be encouragement from all sectors of life to international organizations, governments and the private sector for investing in long-term sustainability projects including Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0. The less sustainable pathways should be disinvested as much as possible. It becomes the principal job of governments to treat people equally, provide equal access and opportunities to all, arrest social and legal discrimination and encourage building human capabilities. This way, the citizens can be empowered and become skilled to lead their life on their own, thus, achieving a collective charge. This outcome would become a proven track record of advantages reaped out of multilateralism. Furthermore, this also emphasizes the inevitable role played by countries to find global solutions to global challenges. The way of implementing these objectives will open avenues for a new world in which the people do not suffer from poverty, inequality and conflict. This is very much required to grasp the scientific realities which form the basis behind the relationship between nature and human beings.