Exploring AI Adoption for Manufacturing SMEs in Industry 5.0

Authors

Lars-Olof Johansson
Halmstad University, School of IT
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18690/um.fov.4.2026.17

Synopsis

This article explores AI adoption in manufacturing SMEs in Industry 5.0. The authors present an interdisciplinary approach to AI adoption grounded in literature from information systems, organization research, and industry research. The aim of the article is to identify characteristics of AI adoption in manufacturing SMEs in Industry 5.0. In information systems, researchers claim that the rise of AI technologies is prompting growing calls to rethink the theoretical foundations of adoption in IS research. The research approach was inspired by interpretive field studies and was conducted within the ongoing project, HUMAI. The article's contribution is a set of characteristics of AI adoption in manufacturing SMEs in Industry 5.0. Three characteristics were identified: 1) The AI adoption should support a manufacturing SME's sustainability work, 2) A Socio-technical and human-centric perspective should be applied throughout the AI adoption process, and 3) Competence development and learning should be addressed throughout the AI adoption process.

Author Biography

Lars-Olof Johansson, Halmstad University, School of IT

My main research interest is digital service innovation from a learning perspective. Research has identified collaboration between heterogeneous actors with different knowledge and backgrounds as problematic in digital service innovation. There is a consensus in the literature that we must find ways to relate, share, translate, and exchange knowledge in order to succeed with innovation activities. In other words, it is important to understand and describe the learning processes that take place during and between innovation activities. Teaching takes place in various courses within Informatics. In recent years, I have been involved in the research program LeaDS (Learning in a digitalized Society). From autumn 2024, my teaching will be in the Digital Business Development and Digital Learning programs.

Halmstad, Sweden. E-mail: lars-olof.johansson@hh.se

Volume

39th Bled eConference: Co-Creating Human-Centred and Responsible Digital Futures; Conference Proceedings

Pages

279-294

Published

June 5, 2026

Series

Bled eConference

Categories

Copyright (c) 2026 University of Maribor, University of Maribor Press

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Johansson, L.-O. (2026). Exploring AI Adoption for Manufacturing SMEs in Industry 5.0. In D. Vidmar, A. Pucihar, M. Kljajić Borštnar, R. W. H. Bons, M. Glowatz, & H.-D. Zimmermann (Eds.), & (Ed.), 39th Bled eConference: Co-Creating Human-Centred and Responsible Digital Futures; Conference Proceedings (Vols. 39., pp. 279-294). University of Maribor Press. https://doi.org/10.18690/um.fov.4.2026.17