EdTech and Industry 5.0: Digital Transformation, Sustainability and Innovation

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Topic is to explore how educational technology (EdTech) intersects with the paradigm of Industry 5.0, where digital innovation, human–AI collaboration, and sustainability converge to shape future societies. This multidisciplinary field spans education sciences, engineering, business, management, and social sciences, recognizing that the next phase of digital transformation requires both technological innovation and human-centered adaptation. This Topic addresses the urgent need to connect AI development, cybersecurity frameworks, and the EU DigComp 3.0 digital competence agenda with the design of new educational ecosystems, business practices, and manufacturing strategies. It considers how engineers, educators, and decision-makers can jointly build pathways toward Society 5.0, where technology enhances, not replaces, human capabilities, and where sustainability and innovation form the foundation of resilient systems. Particular attention will be given to how these transformations contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to quality education (SDG 4), industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), and responsible consumption and production (SDG 12). Likewise, the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles will be highlighted as a framework for ensuring ethical, inclusive, and future-proof digital transformation. This collection will focus on cross-sector integration, bringing together contributions that examine digital transformation in education, business, and manufacturing, with an emphasis on practical examples and ongoing research projects. It will also provide space for studies on the ethical, social, and cultural implications of these changes, asking how EdTech can support inclusive education, sustainable industrial practices, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Our Topic Issue will consider original articles, commentaries, and review articles that focus on (but are not limited to) the following potential topics:

Aim

The aim of this Topic is to provide a platform for interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and to highlight research that addresses the challenges and opportunities of EdTech and Industry 5.0. Specific aims include the following:

1. Investigating the role of AI-powered EdTech solutions in shaping digital transformation across education and industry.
2. Examining how cybersecurity influences trust, resilience, and the adoption of digital technologies in both classrooms and industrial systems.
3. Analyzing the application of DigComp 3.0 competencies to prepare students, educators, and professionals for the demands of Industry 5.0.
4. Exploring sustainability-oriented innovations that link educational practices with environmentally responsible industrial development.
5. Showcasing cross-sector case studies where business, manufacturing, and education collaborate to implement Industry 5.0 practices.
6. Identifying new pedagogical models for educating future engineers, managers, and decision-makers in human–AI collaboration.
7. Mapping the role of digital servitization and phantomization in reshaping business models, knowledge transfer, and workforce training.
8. Evaluating the impact of EdTech on inclusivity and social innovation, including how digital tools contribute to Society 5.0.
9. Investigating policy frameworks and governance mechanisms that ensure ethical and responsible integration of AI and digital tools, aligned with ESG principles.
10. Encouraging contributions from ongoing European and global projects, demonstrating how research outputs can be scaled across sectors in support of the UN SDGs.

Dr. Slavko Rakić
Dr. Janika Leoste
Dr. Nenad Medic
Dr. Branko Andjic
Dr. Jianhua Yang
Topic Editors