Beyond Automation: Building Resilient and Sustainable Supply Chains with Integrative Industry 5.0 Technologies

Dear Colleagues,

Recent global events have starkly highlighted the vulnerabilities of our optimized yet fragile supply chains. The prevailing Industry 4.0 paradigm, with its primary focus on automation and efficiency, has often fallen short in addressing systemic risks and long-term sustainability. This Special Issue proposes a shift in focus, "Beyond Automation," to explore the next evolution: Industry 5.0.

This topic is fundamentally aligned with the scope of Systems, as it treats the supply chain not as a linear chain of activities, but as a complex, adaptive socio-technical system. Industry 5.0 reframes the role of technology within this holistic system, advocating for a synergistic integration of advanced technologies (such as AI, IoT, Blockchain, and Digital Twins) with human expertise. The core pillars of this new paradigm—human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience—are emergent properties that arise from the dynamic interactions between all system components. At the heart of this transition is the move towards a circular economy, leveraging technology to manage feedback loops and close material flows.

This Special Issue will convene leading-edge research that examines the theoretical foundations, empirical applications, and systemic challenges of implementing Industry 5.0. We invite contributions that explore how this new paradigm can foster the development of supply chains that can withstand future shocks while actively contributing to a sustainable and equitable future.

This Special Issue seeks contributions that establish a scholarly foundation for designing and managing the next generation of supply chain systems. The contributions will be presented to the supply chain and associated community, as well as to researchers and practitioners in Industry 5.0 across various industries. Papers are being sought in the following areas, but are not limited to:

• Conceptual Frameworks for Industry 5.0: Theoretical models and frameworks detailing the integration of human-centric, sustainable, and resilient principles in supply chain design and operations.
• Human–Robot Collaboration: Studies on the role of collaborative robots (cobots) and human-in-the-loop systems to enhance worker capabilities, safety, and decision-making in logistics and manufacturing.
• AI and Integration with Technologies such as Digital Twins and Blockchain for Resilience: Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and other technologies, including Blockchain and Digital Twins, for dynamic risk assessment, disruption prediction, and enhancing supply chain visibility and adaptability.
• Technology-Enabled Circular Economy: Research on how AI, Machine Learning, IoT, blockchain, and data analytics can enable circular business models, including reverse logistics, remanufacturing, and product lifecycle management.
• Sustainable Performance Metrics: Development of novel metrics and holistic performance measurement systems for evaluating the environmental, social, and economic impact of Industry 5.0 supply chains.
• Socio-Technical and Ethical Implications: Analysis of the ethical challenges and societal impacts of implementing Industry 5.0, including workforce transformation, data privacy, and algorithmic bias.
• System Dynamics and Complexity: The use of systems thinking and simulation modelling to understand the complex interdependencies and feedback loops within resilient and sustainable supply chains.
• Empirical Studies and Case Applications: Real-world case studies and empirical analyses demonstrating the implementation, challenges, and benefits of Industry 5.0 technologies in various industrial contexts.

Dr. Funlade Sunmola
Dr. George Baryannis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Systems is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• sustainable supply chains 
• supply chain resilience
• circular economy 
• human-centric systems 
• socio-technical systems 
• integrative technologies
• system dynamics