Adaptive social manufacturing: a human-centric, resilient, and sustainable framework for advancing Industry 5.0

This paper presents the Adaptive Social Manufacturing (ASM) as a strategic framework for integrating emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, into manufacturing in a socially responsible, economically viable, and practically feasible manner. Building on Industry 4.0 foundations, ASM addresses the need for a balanced, human-centric framework that aligns technological advancements with the ethical, social, and environmental values central to Industry 5.0. The framework introduces core enabling capabilities, such as Digitalization Strategic Management and Resource Readiness, to drive responsible technology adoption, while preventive capabilities, including Technology Governance and Sustainability Performance Management Systems, mitigate potential socio-environmental risks. To validate the feasibility and practicality of the framework, the study incorporates a longitudinal case study of a medium-sized healthcare product manufacturer. This case demonstrates how ASM facilitated real-time monitoring, process integration, and sustainable innovation, achieving measurable operational improvements while balancing economic, social, and environmental objectives. The findings highlight how ASM enables feasible, stepwise digital transformation, ensuring that economic gains are leveraged to promote social inclusion and environmental responsibility. ASM offers a structured pathway for manufacturers seeking to transition beyond efficiency-driven digitalisation toward value-driven innovation, and holds promise as a guiding framework for policy design, workforce development, and cross-sectoral collaboration in future industrial ecosystems.