Bridges 5.0: The bridge to the jobs of the future

Infineon is researching the green and digital workplaces of the future in the EU Bridges 5.0 project. The flagship project brings together a consortium of business, science and social partners. The common goal: to map the skills required in the working world of Industry 5.0 and create a roadmap for acquiring digital skills and qualifications. Infineon sheds light on the jobs and opportunities in highly automated chip production.

Villach, April 29, 2024 - How will jobs in industry change, what comes after Industry 4.0, what qualifications are needed for the green and digital transformation and how can people and their skills be brought along for the jobs of the future? The EU flagship project Bridges 5.0 is dedicated to precisely these questions.  

Under the leadership of TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research), 21 partners from science, industry and representatives of the social partners have joined forces. The aim of the project is to promote the development of a qualified workforce, identify qualification and training needs and create concepts for lifelong learning and skills development. The results should support companies and their employees in the transition to a digital and sustainable economy.

Sabine Herlitschka, CEO of Infineon Technologies Austria AG: "Know-how is crucial for the green and digital transformation of companies and regions in the future. As a global microelectronics company, we actively invest in the further development of our skilled workers and in digitalization. That is why projects like this one make a lot of sense in order to work with strong partners to comprehensively advance the qualification and skills development for the digital jobs of the future in Industry 5.0. The intelligent interplay between people and technologies is a key contribution to the global digitalization and innovation."

Industry 5.0 - man and machine

While Industry 4.0 focused on automation, Industry 5.0 is about the social significance of industry: not only as an employer and producer, but also as a source of meaningful work, qualifications and a human-centricity approach. This pillar is given special consideration in the Bridges 5.0 project. The skills of people are combined with the possibilities of technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data analysis, robotics and the Internet of Things. Humans remain the "starting point" for creative solutions, flexible action and complex decision-making, while machines take on the role of powerful/useful assistants, the collection and classification of huge amounts of data and repetitive tasks.

Industry 5.0 - sustainability and resilience

The use of technologies is also about how effectively they can be integrated into holistic sustainability strategies. The high-tech factory is based on knowledge-based workplaces and intelligent automation. This also opens up enormous potential for innovation - from better resource planning, recycling and effective maintenance, quality and knowledge management to the development of new products and processes. The holistic overview has a positive impact on sustainability, efficiency, the circular economy and can make industry in Europe more resilient overall. This aspect is also taken into account in the Bridges 5.0 project.  

Matteo Fedeli, Infineon project manager: "In a way, the Bridges 5.0 project is also a 'reality check'. Internationally, the necessary skills for the production of the future are being worked out, skills gaps identified and a concept for lifelong learning and skills development drawn up. The results should support companies in the transition to an environmentally friendly, circular and resilient economy. The main goal is to contribute to the development of skilled workforce to guarantee that we hire the right people and that we train the right skills for what expects us in future "

Bridges 5.0 - Workplaces of the future

Bridges 5.0 surveys the skills and qualifications of employees and also investigates how technologies can improve and enhance working conditions in industry. To this end, the first European "Industry 5.0 learning factory" will be set up as a pilot factory at the University of applied sciences Joanneum Smart Production Lab in Kapfenberg. Infineon is contributing its experience from fully automated chip production and can also benefit from new approaches and methods through the exchange of knowledge.

Chip production with AI

The jobs of the future will require know-how, specialization, analytical skills as well as creativity, the ability to work in a team and the openness to learn new things and exchange knowledge. These skills are particularly in demand at the Infineon Remote Operation Control Center (ROCC). The ROCC is the control center for Infineon's chip production. The processes and systems of the new chip factory are managed centrally from here. By networking the Villach and Dresden production sites, production can even be controlled as a virtual mega-factory "One Virtual Fab". Users were involved right from the start, new technologies were tested and training methods were developed. Apps and social boots are used as "digital help agents" to support knowledge growth and shorten the induction period for new employees.

The Infineon team is passing on this extensive knowledge in the Bridges 5.0 project. In exchange with partners from all over Europe, the aim is to improve the quality of the workplace as well as equal opportunities for employees in accessing and using new technologies. In this sense, Bridges 5.0 will herald a new era of industrial production in which man, machine and the learning factory work together to promote green, digital change and create the job profiles of the future.

EU flagship project Bridges 5.0

• Duration: 01/2023 to 12/2026
• Consortium: 21 partners from 12 countries
• Participants from Austria: Infineon Technologies Austria, FH Joanneum, AIT (Austrian Institute of Technology) and Plattform Industrie 4.0.
• Project management: TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research)
• Project website: https://bridges5-0.eu/
• Interested individuals and companies can take part in workshops and webinars free of charge https://bridges5-0.eu/events/

Infineon Technologies Austria AG is a subsidiary of Infineon Technologies AG, a global semiconductor leader in power systems and IoT. Semiconductors are essential for mastering the energy-related challenges of our time and helping to shape the digital transformation. Infineon's microelectronics drive decarbonization and digitalization and enable groundbreaking solutions for green and efficient energy, clean and safe mobility as well as a smart and secure IoT.

Infineon Austria pools competencies for research and development, production as well as global business responsibility. The head office is in Villach, with further branches in Graz, Klagenfurt, Linz, Innsbruck and Vienna. With 5,886 employees (including around 2,500 in research and development) from 79 nations, the company generated revenue of EUR 5.6 billion in the 2023 fiscal year (ending 30 September). With research expenditure of 672 million euros, Infineon Austria is one of the strongest research companies in Austria.