The Fourth Industrial Revolution: the ongoing transition from Industry 4.0 to Society 5.0

This paper aims to analyze the Fourth Industrial Revolution, starting from its definition, and then proceeding with an analysis of the critical issues encountered and the results achieved at the Italian level, drawing inspiration from the ongoing debate and data collected globally and locally. It emerges that size of firms plays a very important role, while infrastructure and professional training are the main limiting factors. Every revolution arises from a crisis impacting the scientific, social, and economic models that have dominated until then. Unlike in the past, the current revolution involves the entirety of the reality that surrounds us, with the ultimate and essential goal of preserving the environment and biodiversity. A new concept, Society 5.0, emerges as an evolution of Industry 4.0. It was developed in Japan but quickly spread worldwide, because it deals with issues that concern the entire planet, without distinction. It is a human-centered vision in which the focus is no longer on the user, but on the human being, as part of a reality much broader than just the factory and considering not only the economic aspects, but also the social and ecological ones. Cooperation between individuals, businesses, institutions and the State is necessary to achieve the goals expressed by documents as the 2030 Agenda and the New Green Deal. Sustainable development is no longer an option, but an imperative that we can no longer defer.