On 16 and 17 June 2025, a conference on the future of work, employee participation and Industry 5.0 took place in Leuven (Belgium). It was hosted by the EU project BRIDGES 5.0 in collaboration with the projects BROADVOICE, SEISMEC and the European Workplace Innovation Network (EUWIN).
Industry 5.0: People at the centre of industrial transformation
Industry 5.0 represents a paradigm shift in European industrial policy: instead of focusing purely on efficiency and automation, this approach aims to create a human-centred, resilient and sustainable industry. The focus is not only on new technologies such as AI or digital assistance systems, but above all on the active role of employees in shaping work processes and innovations.
‘The EU project BRIDGES 5.0 has set itself the goal of supporting this transformation by developing participative forms of work, innovation-promoting corporate cultures and forward-looking skills strategies.’ Says Doris Schartinger, AIT Innovation Systems & Policy. Strengthening co-determination and social partnership not only plays a central role at company level, but also at political level.
Two days full of inspiration, dialogue and international perspectives
The conference offered a top-class programme with plenary lectures, expert panels and interactive sessions. Over 70 researchers, political representatives, social partners and company representatives from all over Europe discussed the key topics of Industry 5.0:
- Employee participation and workplace innovation: New approaches for actively involving employees in technological and organisational changes.
- Skills development for the future: Innovative learning concepts, new educational partnerships and specific training programmes for the industry of tomorrow.
- Social dialogue and co-determination in times of change: The role of trade unions and works councils in the age of digitalisation and ecological transformation.
- Case studies and corporate practice: good practices from various regions and sectors - from automotive suppliers to smart manufacturing initiatives.
The renowned speakers included David Guest (King's College London), Sissel Trygstad (Fafo), Roland Sommer (Platform Industry 4.0 Austria), Stavroula Demetriades (Eurofound) and many other leading voices from science and practice.
BRIDGES 5.0 - Bridges to the industry of the future
The BRIDGES 5.0 project exemplifies the European ambition to combine technological innovation with social progress. Through targeted research, pilot initiatives and policy recommendations, the project aims to promote the transition to an industrial society in which people, their creativity and their well-being take centre stage.