Warehousing 5.0 for the future of the logistics industry

Abstract

This editorial introduces and contextualises the International Journal of Production Research Special Issue on ‘Warehousing 5.0 for the Future of the Logistics Industry’. Building on the principles of Industry 5.0, the concept of Warehousing 5.0 redefines warehouse operations as human-centric, intelligent, sustainable, and resilient systems. It emphasises the integration of advanced automation and analytics with human well-being, environmental stewardship, and data responsibility–shifting the focus from efficiency alone to a balanced socio-technical paradigm. The Special Issue received 45 submissions, from which 12 papers were accepted after rigorous peer review. Together, these studies advance understanding across four interconnected themes: (T1) Human Factors and Human-Centric Design, (T2) Optimisation and Efficiency in Robotics and Automation, (T3) Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Operations, and (T4) Data-Driven and AI-Enabled Warehousing. The contributions highlight innovations in ergonomic design, collaborative robotics, energy-aware scheduling, stochastic and multi-objective optimisation, wearable sensing, and AI-enabled vision systems, demonstrating how operational efficiency can coexist with human welfare and environmental responsibility. Synthesising across these themes, the editorial identifies key insights on human–technology symbiosis, sustainable digitalisation, and cyber-physical-social integration in warehouses. It also outlines future research directions on adaptive human–robot collaboration, circular logistics, responsible AI, and integrative modelling. The practical and policy implications discussed provide a framework for managers and decision-makers to implement Warehousing 5.0 principles effectively. Collectively, the Special Issue contributes to shaping a new generation of resilient, sustainable, and human-aware warehouses, reinforcing IJPR's leadership in advancing innovative and responsible production and logistics systems.