Towards designing society 5.0 solutions: The new Quintuple Helix - Design Thinking approach to technology

The integration of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies within society is pivotal for resolving many challenges that the world and its population are facing presently—global pandemics, ageing populations, and climate change. However, academics and practitioners still struggle to fully understand I4.0 outcomes outside of the manufacturing domain, thereby unravelling their potential for society at large. In this scenario, Society 5.0 (S5.0) is arising as a new paradigm that places humans at the centre of innovation. To foster the effective integration of technology into society and to better understand how to design S5.0 configurations and solutions, the authors developed a conceptual model applying the Design Thinking (DT) approach to the Quintuple Helix (QH) innovation framework. The proposed QH–DT model was found to be suitable for allowing the knowledge flow among the actors involved in the design and implementation of the S5.0 solution. The model was then explained through its application in a healthcare project—the SMARTAGE. By adopting an action research methodology, the results explain how it becomes possible to build complex human-centric healthcare solutions. •The adoption of I4.0 technologies with a S5.0 perspective can lead to new human-centric solutions.•A Quintuple Helix-Design Thinking model is proposed for implementing S5.0 solutions.•The SMARTAGE project represents the first practical application of the QH-DT model.•The QH-DT model was found to be potentially suitable for other S5.0 contexts.