Industry 5.0 and Cyber Security: here’s what you need to know
As digitalization advances and IT and operational systems become more integrated, cyber security becomes increasingly important in ensuring the safety, integrity, and resilience of industrial systems.
The protection of data, infrastructure and people becomes an absolute priority. As does knowing the incentives provided by the Transition 5.0 plan, implemented by the Italian government to support companies in the adoption of digital technologies and in the transition to a more sustainable economy that allows for improving the efficiency and competitiveness of production processes.
The Industry 5.0 Plan includes specific incentives for technologies that enable IoT, cybersecurity monitoring, and data management, offering companies funds that Logbot can help them obtain.
From Industry 4.0 to 5.0 towards a human-centric approach
From the advent of mechanization in the first industrial revolution to mass production and automation, up to the digitalization and interconnection of production processes with Industry 4.0, the path of industrial evolution has always embraced technological innovations.
Industry 5.0 represents an evolution of this concept, shifting the focus from technology alone to collaboration between man and machine, integrating artificial intelligence and sustainability. This new paradigm does not mark a break with Industry 4.0, but is a natural progression that starts from its technological foundations, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing and advanced robotics.
With Industry 5.0, companies are moving towards an industrial model where technology, while remaining central, is at the service of human intelligence by promoting collaborative, efficient and flexible work environments. This approach not only improves working conditions, making the industry more attractive for new generations, but also promotes sustainability and resilience.
These principles put the human being and his well-being at the center, representing a paradigm shift compared to previous industrial revolutions.
In this new paradigm, machines and autonomous systems work alongside humans, supporting them and enhancing their capabilities. This is the meaning we must give to the new model of thinking about the human-machine relationship.
Cyber Security in Industry 5.0: How to Defend Yourself from Cyber Attacks
The increase in digitalization and interconnection in Industry 5.0 brings with it reflections, concerns and necessary changes, related to cybersecurity. This is because new critical issues are emerging that need to be addressed and put at the center of preventive actions:
- Increased attack opportunities:The combination of robotic machines, IoT, augmented reality and new human-machine interfaces increases the number of potential security gaps in industrial systems.
- Obsolete Operating Systems:Many industrial environments still use outdated operating systems that are more vulnerable to cyber attacks.
- Impact of attacks:In an operational environment, the consequences of a cyber attack can be devastating, from shutting down production lines to endangering workers and the environment.
How to defend yourself from cybercrime in Industry 5.0
To address the issues related to cybersecurity in Industry 5.0, a broader and more comprehensive approach is needed.
transversal, which combines technical solutions with greater awareness and training of staff.
In fact, Industry 5.0 brings with it a larger attack surface for potential cybercriminals. Threats can come from various sources, such as hackers or malicious insiders, and can have impactful consequences such as production disruption, intellectual property theft, or worker safety compromise.
To avoid these risks, it becomes necessary to adopt a holistic approach to network security, which involves not only technology but also people and processes. Companies must adopt a “security by design” strategy, integrating security from the early stages of designing systems and infrastructures.
Furthermore, Industry 5.0 requires greater attention to the security of endpoints, such as sensors, actuators and IoT devices that often represent the most vulnerable points of the network and it becomes essential to also strengthen authentication and authorization mechanisms, constantly monitoring devices, to detect and respond to potential threats.
In this scenario, employee training and awareness play an equally important role: in Industry 5.0, every person becomes an integral part of the security system. Companies must invest in training their staff on cyber risks, security best practices, and reporting suspicious activity.
Industry 5.0 requires close collaboration between information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) teams, although historically these two worlds have often been separate, with IT focused on data management and OT on physical process management.
With the arrival of Industry 5.0, however, the convergence between IT and OT becomes essential to ensure a unified vision of security and a coordinated response to incidents.
Finally, organizations should consider adopting emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, to improve their threat detection and response capabilities. These technologies can help identify anomalous patterns, detect intrusions in real time, and automate containment actions, enabling a more proactive and adaptive defense.
Here are some strategies we can consider:
- Systems Update:embed cybersecurity into industrial equipment, through the installation of components such as firewalls and rigorous access management.
- Collaboration between IT and OT teams:promote close collaboration between IT and operations teams, to find compromises that satisfy both security and operational constraints.
- Staff training and awareness:train operators on cyber risks and how to detect potential attacks. An aware person can make the difference in quickly detecting anomalous situations.
Regulatory Compliance:adopt the cybersecurity standards required by European regulations, such as the NIS 2 directive and the Cyber Resilience Act, to strengthen companies’ resilience to attacks.
Incentives for businesses: financing opportunities for Industry 5.0
The Italian government has planned substantial funds to support the 5.0 transition for businesses. The Industry 5.0 Plan, approved in February 2024, plans to invest 12.7 billion euros in businesses for innovation and digitalization projects. The plan is divided into two axes: Transition 5.0 and Transition 4.0, with the aim of reducing energy consumption and supporting digitalization.
On February 26, 2024, the new Industry 5.0 Plan was approved by the Council of Ministers, an ambitious strategy that aims to lead Italian companies towards a future of sustainable innovation.
With a total investment of 12.7 billion euros from the PNRR, the plan includes two main axes of intervention: Transition 5.0 and Transition 4.0.
What is the Industry 5.0 Plan?
The Industry 5.0 Plan represents an evolution compared to the Industry 4.0 strategy, integrating energy sustainability and advanced digitalization objectives. The plan is divided into two main investment axes.
Summary table of the incentive plan for Industry 5.0.
| Category | Description | Available funds |
| Intervention Lines | ||
| Purchase of 4.0 goods | Investments in advanced technologies and capital goods for digitalization | |
| Self-production and Self-consumption | Investments for self-production and self-consumption of energy from renewable sources | |
| Training of staff | Training of staff on the topics of ecological transition | |
| Available funds | ||
| Energy Efficiency | Investments aimed at energy efficiency 3,780 million euros | 3.780 milions of euros |
| Self-consumption and Self-production | Incentives for self-consumption and self-production | 1.890 milions of euros |
| Training | Incentives for staff training | 630 milions of euros |
| Industry 5.0 Incentives | ||
| Certified Energy Savings | Higher and increasing rates based on the level of efficiency achieved (up to 40%) for energy savings of 3% at company level or 5% for the production process | |
| Maximum Ceiling for Eligible Investments | Eligible investments from 20 to 50 million euros, with admission of expenses for staff training within the limit of 10% of the eligible investment |
Plan Details
Transition 5.0: Sustainable Investments
The focus of Transition 5.0 is on investments that reduce energy consumption. Companies can obtain non-repayable grants in the form of tax credits, calculated based on the percentage of reduction in energy consumption achieved.
Examples of eligible investments:
- Tangible capital goods: Robots, machine tools, automated warehouses
- Intangible capital goods: Consumption monitoring software, energy efficiency applications
Renewable energy production: Investments in photovoltaic (with panels produced in the EU and registered with Enea)
Bring Logbot IoT to your company with incentives for digitalization
Since our inception in 2020, our goal has been to support the digitalization process of companies,
- respond to the growing need for solutions serving OEMs and manufacturing companies
- interconnect the machine, and the relevant data it collects, to the ecosystem that surrounds it.
The Industry 5.0 Plan includes specific incentives for technologies that enable IoT, cybersecurity monitoring, and data management, offering companies funds that Logbot can help them obtain.
