At the 5th World Congress of Latvian Scientists "Research Latvia", a discussion on Industry 5.0 gathered scientists and other industry experts to share their insights on what technologies will determine the development of the new industrial paradigm and on the challenges new technologies present.
At the beginning of the discussion, European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation representative Seán O’Reagain stressed that Industry 5.0 is based on people-centred solutions, the sustainability of industrial production and the resilience of industry. Raimonds Lapiņš, Deputy State Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Economics, recalled that what was considered fundamental science a hundred years ago is today a usable product, and that the path from research to product is getting shorter and shorter.
Latvian researchers from various fields provided insights into what is necessary for the development of Industry 5.0. Liene Briede highlighted the role of economic security and risk tolerance in development, while RTU Professor Oskars Ozoliņš said that it is especially important to look for energy-efficient solutions, including in digital technologies. Andris Anspoks, Director of the Institute of Solid State Physics of the University of Latvia, stressed the importance of cooperation – both between science and industry, and between people and technology. Andris Ambainis, Head of the Centre for Quantum Computing Science at the University of Latvia, focused on the importance of research programmes and called for investment in the fields of artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. Kaspars Ozols, Deputy Director for Development and leading researcher at the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science, recalled that each industrial revolution creates new professions, therefore, people’s creativity will play an increasing role.
