Sustainable Development Goals in a Human-Centered Cyber-Physical Society

Dear Colleagues,

Following an era of fast-paced evolution of digital technologies, digital disruption and digital transformation, Society 5.0 refers to "A human-centered society that balances economic advancement with the resolution of social problems by a system that highly integrates cyberspace and physical space." As Society 5.0 aims to tackle social challenges and achieve a sustainable, inclusive, people-oriented society, it contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. It advocates the adoption of digital technologies to increase global prosperity.

The cyber-physical space consists of interconnected systems and devices, that collect and send data. A human-centered society demands the inclusion of humans when considering applications and interactions in the cyber-physical space. This Special Issue focuses on aspects of interconnectedness and interaction – where the human in this potentially complex interaction is investigated and considered through the application of different lenses and interdisciplinary fields. The aim of this inquiry is to design and develop technology products and services that not only meet human needs but also consider the human experience when engaging in the cyber-physical space and that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The fourth industrial revolution remains a hot topic. Technologies are emerging and evolving faster than the capacity of some of our organizations to adapt to and adopt them and demand a nimble response. Furthermore, following the rapid development of connected technologies, which are now highly sophisticated and spread across the globe, Society 5.0 has emerged and brought with it a dramatic societal shift − a vision of the future that hinges on digitalization, human-centered artificial intelligence and trusted sharing of data. Such a human-centered society will require the free flow of data, agile regulation and a strong focus on digital literacy. Gone are the days when an organization considers a digital user interface for the convenience of its operations, systems and integration. Technology should be focusing on reducing the complexity of daily lives and empowering citizens to follow the path of digital transformation.

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) ratified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) UN SDG Summit, where they raised awareness of global challenges. The purpose of the 17 SDGs is to guide sustainability policies in countries and regions around the world, to be achieved by 2030. The SDGs are ultimately designed to fulfill the UN’s pledge that no one will be left behind, fostering close alignment with the Society 5.0 vision to apply the cyber-physical world to the benefit of society as a whole. The impact on organizations in this context is to share common goals and plan environmentally sound business activities, with global perspectives, from the outset so as to achieve sustainability in the true sense, and in some instances to restructure the business.

Therefore, advancing technology needs to become more human-oriented to help to streamline, simplify, evaluate and filter, and to better understand human needs, emotions and human behavior. The overall objective of this issue is therefore to investigate humanizing design experiences that may be intangible, but very powerful. It must be considered that design is executed for the impactful human experience by ensuring that a human–machine engagement is as easy and emotionally connected as a conversation between two friends. The implementation of the Society 5.0 vision therefore might simultaneously yield social, economic, and ecological benefits that enhance a society’s sustainability and stability. This Special Issue will investigate these aspects as it relates to sustainable development goals in a human-centered cyber-physical society.

Prof. Dr. Knut Hinkelmann
Dr. Hanlie Smuts
Dr. Aurona Gerber
Guest Editors

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• Society 5.0
• sustainable development goals
• digitalization
• human-centeredness