Industry 5.0 through the lens of ergonomics and sustainability: Mapping the territory

Digital technologies have revolutionized the manufacturing landscape, enhancing productivity, quality, and sustainability. Industry 5.0 emphasizes human–machine collaboration to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while prioritizing human centrality in technologically advanced systems. Therefore, Industry 5.0 signifies a paradigm shift from techno-centric to human-centric systems to achieve resilience and sustainable production systems. This study presents a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis exploring the interlinkages among ergonomics, sustainability, and Industry 5.0. Using the Scopus and Web of Science databases, relevant studies were screened through inclusion and exclusion criteria, and analyzed using VOSviewer to map co-authorship networks, citation patterns, and thematic clusters. Findings suggest that the literature represents a fragmented yet emerging research domain, with limited integration of ergonomics and sustainability perspectives within Industry 5.0 scholarship. The study identifies influential authors, contributing countries, and major research streams shaping this interdisciplinary field. The study consolidates these dimensions through structured bibliometric mapping and proposes an integrative foundation for advancing human-centric and sustainable Industry 5.0 research domain.