The FURN5.0 project has published the FURN5.0 Handbook - A Guide for advancing human-centric, sustainable, and resilient smart manufacturing. It is a comprehensive guide designed to facilitate the adoption of Industry 5.0 practices in the EU furniture industry.
Developed with the support of industry experts and social partners, the Handbook provides a practical entry point for companies looking to align with Europe’s evolving industrial priorities—combining digital transformation with sustainability, resilience, and a stronger focus on people.
Moving beyond theory, the Handbook translates the Industry 5.0 approach into concrete actions for the furniture sector. It outlines how companies can integrate advanced technologies while improving working conditions, reducing environmental impact, and strengthening their capacity to respond to market disruptions.
At its core, Industry 5.0 is presented not just as a technological shift, but as a broader transformation of how manufacturing operates—placing human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience at the centre of industrial strategies.
15 practical applications for companies
A central feature of the Handbook is a set of 15 practical applications that companies can implement to strengthen sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness.
These applications are structured across five key domains:
- Human–machine interaction, including collaborative robotics and extended reality for safer and more efficient workplaces
- Smart materials, supporting innovation and circular product design
- Digital twins and simulation, enabling optimisation of processes and environmental performance
- Data integration and traceability, including the Digital Product Passport and IoT solutions
- Artificial intelligence, applied to design, production, decision-making, and customer engagement
Each application combines technical insights with real-world use cases and implementation guidance, making it easier for companies—particularly SMEs—to identify relevant entry points.
Supporting the sector’s transition
The Handbook also provides a broader assessment of Industry 5.0 readiness in the EU furniture sector, alongside recommendations on skills development and stakeholder engagement. A dedicated self-assessment tool further supports companies in evaluating their current position and planning next steps.
With many companies still at an early stage of engagement with Industry 5.0, the FURN5.0 Handbook offers a structured and accessible resource to support informed decision-making and gradual adoption.
The Handbook currently available in English will be soon available also in other 9 EU language.
For more information visit https://www.furn50.eu/
