Operator 5.0 in Smart Manufacturing: a Literature Review
 
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1
Virumaa Innovation Centre of Digitalisation and Green Technologies, TalTech Virumaa College, Estonia
 
2
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, School of Engineering, Estonia
 
 
Submission date: 2026-02-06
 
 
Final revision date: 2026-03-26
 
 
Acceptance date: 2026-03-27
 
 
Online publication date: 2026-04-16
 
 
Corresponding author
Vjatsheslav Kekshin   

Virumaa Innovation Centre of Digitalisation and Green Technologies, TalTech Virumaa College, Järveküla tee 75, 30322, Kohtla-Järve, Estonia
 
 
 
KEYWORDS
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ABSTRACT
The operator plays an integral role in various stages of production processes. Their work is closely connected to the development and integration of new technologies in manufacturing, which they must adapt to and incorporate into their daily tasks. The transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 has a global impact on operators, transforming them from Operator 4.0 into Operator 5.0. This process affects many aspects of the operator’s development, such as education, professionalism, endurance, safety, health protection, and the working environment, as well as the ability to perform tasks sustainably and with high quality. This literature review article describes the main approaches to the transition from Operator 4.0 to Operator 5.0 in smart manufacturing. In this new transition, numerous tasks arise that need to be structured into a unified solution.
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