Intro to Society 5.0

The concept of Society 5.0 (S5.0) was introduced by the Japanese government in 2016 as an initiative to deal with social issues that were impacting Japan. Society 5.0 was formulated on the basis of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations. This concept prioritizes sustainability and human centric society by integrating physical space and cyberspace which requires a continuous integration of ubiquitous technology into daily life.

The origins of S5.0 can be traced back to Industry 4.0 (I4.0) which was introduced in 2011. I4.0 revolutionized the productions systems as new business models, services and products were introduced through the usage of advanced technologies. As the focus of I4.0 was on the industries, the environmental and social aspects were not given much prominence resulting in an imbalance in the ecosystem. To counteract this, the concept of Industry 5.0 was introduced in 2018 to cerate a synergy between humans and autonomous machine through the integration of physical space and cyberspace. This is a valuable approach that is supported by S5.0 to create super smart societies of the future and societal interconnectivity for sustainability.

To realize S5.0, cooperation of all members of society, government and industry is essential. The move towards harmonious and sustainable living must be an agenda support by all.