At this year's OTMC in Šibenik (Croatia), Thorben Krokowski (Social Research Center, TU Dortmund) and Daniel Wentzek (Construction and Process Management, TU Dortmund) presented some of the results of their joint research with Cornelia Regelmann (Management Accounting and Controlling, TU Dortmund) in a lecture entitled “A Proposition for the Construction Industry to Catch Up with Industry 5.0”. The three doctoral students at the TU Dortmund University Research Training Group 2193 “Adaption Intelligence of Factories in a Dynamic and Complex Environment” are investigating central aspects of the construction industry's adaptation to the requirements of Industry 5.0 in their interdisciplinary research.

The research focuses on how the vision/initiative “Industry 5.0” (I5.0) can be implemented for the construction industry using the example of modular and serial construction for industrial buildings. In their lecture, the authors made it clear that realigning the construction industry along the I5.0 initiative is a promising strategy for remaining competitive in the volatile environment of modern manufacturing processes. This is particularly significant as the construction industry has so far played a rather subordinate role in the broader context of factory planning, lagging behind the manufacturing industry.

The presentation discussed the potential benefits for the construction industry of a stronger focus on the I5.0 core aspects of “resilience” and “sustainability”. The authors argued that the I5.0 initiative offers valuable approaches to developing the construction industry into a central player in holistic factory planning and contributing to successful industrial transformation.

One key approach here is to adapt modular and serial construction methods to circular economy concepts, which aim to reuse components and thus enable greater flexibility. This type of construction could not only improve operational efficiency, but also offer long-term environmental and economic benefits.

More Information on the conference.

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