Mapping of the Emergence of Society 5.0: A Bibliometric Analysis

Background and purpose: The study aims to answer a research question: With which essential cornerstones technological innovations the transformation from Society 4.0 and Industry 4.0 to Society 5.0 and Industry 5.0 is enabled? The study is important for practitioners and researchers to understand the meaning of Society 5.0 and to familiarise themselves with the drivers that will help shape Society 5.0 policies and play an important role in its further development. Therefore, the authors conducted a quantitative bibliometric study that provides insights into the importance of the topic and incorporates current characteristics and future research trends.

Methodology: The study used algorithmic co-occurrence of keywords to gain a different insight into the evolution of Society 5.0. Thirty-six selected articles from the Web of Science database were analysed with the bibliometric analysis and overlay visualisation.

Results: The co-occurrence analysis shows that terms artificial intelligence, cyber-physical systems, big data, Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0, open innovation, Society 5.0, super-smart society have been widely used in researches in the last three years.

Conclusion: The study presents a bibliometric analysis to analyse the current and future development drivers of a Society 5.0. According to the results, the transition from Society 4.0 to Society 5.0 can be achieved by implementing knowledge and technologies in the IoT, robotics, and Big Data to transform society into a smart society (Society 5.0). In particular, the concept would enable the adaptation of services and industrial activities to individuals’ real needs. Furthermore, these technologies allow advanced digital service platforms that will eventually be integrated into all areas of life.