Industry 5.0 Digital DNA: A Genetic Code of Human-Centric Smart Manufacturing

This study proposes and empirically assesses a bio-inspired conceptual framework, termed Digital DNA, for modeling Industry 5.0 transformation as a complementary extension of established Industry 4.0 principles with an explicit focus on human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience. Rather than positing a new industrial revolution, our positioning follows the European Commission’s view that Industry 5.0 complements Industry 4.0 by emphasizing stakeholder value and human-technology symbiosis. We encode organizational capabilities (genotype) into four gene groups, Adaptability, Technology, Governance, and Culture, and link them to five human-centric outcomes (phenotype). Twenty capability genes and ten outcome measures were scored, normalized (0–100 scale), and analyzed using correlations, K-means clustering, and mutation/drift tracking to capture both static maturity levels and dynamic change patterns. Results show that high Industry 5.0 readiness is consistently associated with elevated Governance and Culture scores. Three transformation archetypes were identified: Alpha, representing holistic socio-technical integration; Beta, with strong technical capacity but weaker cultural alignment; and Gamma, with fragmented capabilities and elevated vulnerability. The Digital DNA framework offers a replicable diagnostic tool for linking socio-technical capabilities to human-centric outcomes, enabling readiness assessment and guiding adaptive, ethical manufacturing strategies.