In the evolving context of Industry 5.0, where human-centred innovation, sustainability, and technology converge, the skilling and upskilling of workers across private and hybrid organisations take on heightened importance. Consequently, a diverse set of industries is increasingly manifesting the need for holistic strategies that incorporate skill enhancement, gender inclusivity, regulatory compliance, and technological adaptation to meet both operational and sustainability goals (Huang et al., 2022). The relevance of Industry 5.0 lies in fostering innovation and adding value across a range of industries, enabling private and hybrid organisations to remain competitive in the global market. Investing in continuous workforce development equips employees to harness the potential of emerging technologies while ensuring the organization’s sustainability objectives are met. These efforts, in turn, enhance organisational resilience and agility in responding to market shifts and regulatory demands (Adel, 2022). As organisations integrate advanced digital technologies, automation, and data exchange, they must also address environmental sustainability and the societal impacts of their operations. Skilling the workforce becomes a key enabler of this dual mandate. In the case of blue workers, for instance, training initiatives focused on digital tools, automation, and decarbonisation help companies in the maritime sector increase operational efficiency, reduce costs, and lower their environmental footprint as it is the case for blue workers (Li and Miller-Hooks, 2023). This aligns with the broader objectives of Industry 5.0, which champions sustainability alongside technological progress (Ivanov, 2023; Ghobakhloo et al., 2022).
This special track aims to gather research contributions examining the critical role of workforce development in ensuring sustainability and competitiveness across a diverse range of industries, from manufacturing to tourism, from education to high tech, from innovative and creative to cultural heritage, etc., eventually including implications for public or hybrid organisations. Indeed, as an increasing number of sectors is embracing the shift beyond the automation and data-driven frameworks of Industry 4.0, the industry 5.0 paradigm brings a renewed emphasis on collaboration between humans and machines, while prioritising sustainable practices and societal value. Accordingly, this special track intends to foster a debate on the dynamic intersection of Industry 5.0 and workforce preparedness, emphasising the importance of skilling and upskilling of the workforce a strategic asset in private and hybrid organisational contexts. The focus should be addressed to the ways in which such efforts foster technological readiness, while contributing to a sustainable and inclusive industrial landscape.
Given the listed premises and insights, the present track welcomes both conceptual and empirical contributions analysing the skilling and upskilling processes referring to human resources across various sectors, particularly within private and hybrid organisations thus, to describe the foundational elements for achieving the goals of Industry 5.0. By integrating technological innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity into workforce development strategies, organisations can position themselves for long-term success. Hence, this track also encourages the presentation of studies highlighting the need for coordinated efforts among industry leaders, policymakers, and educational institutions to prioritise human capital development in alignment with the sustainability-driven future of Industry 5.0.

Mariarosalba Angrisani, Parthenope University of Naples, Italy
Mariavittoria Cicellin, Federico II University of Naples, Italy
Elina Gaile-Sarkane, Riga Technical University, Latvia
Ivana Quinto, Parthenope University of Naples, Italy