New EU Industrial Policy Trends as a Basis for Developing a Resilient Industrial Workforce Provision System

Abstract

The article explores contemporary trends in the development of European Union industrial policy as a conceptual foundation for establishing a resilient industrial workforce provision system. The authors analyze the evolution of EU industrial policy, tracing the transition from the Industry 4.0 paradigm toward the Industry 5.0 model, which is anchored in the principles of human-centricity, sustainability, resilience, and social responsibility. The concept of resilience is examined as a cross-cutting category of EU policy, encompassing the capacity of industrial systems, enterprises, and workers to withstand shocks, adapt to change, and recover under conditions of uncertainty.

Particular emphasis is placed on the enhanced integration of industrial, digital, and socio-labor policies as a strategic response to rising economic turbulence, technological transformations, and labor market imbalances. It is demonstrated that the implementation of the Industry 5.0 concept poses significant challenges to the workforce provision system, as it necessitates a fundamental paradigm shift in approaches to skills development, workforce adaptability, and human capital governance.

Based on the analysis of EU strategic documents, statistical data, and contemporary academic research, the study identifies key constraints to industrial competitiveness: persistent labor shortages, skills mismatches, and the rising importance of employees' digital, cognitive, and social competencies. It is substantiated that the experience of EU Member States provides valuable methodological and practical benchmarks for shaping workforce resilience policies, which are particularly relevant for Ukraine in the context of post-war recovery and European integration.

The authors propose a conceptual framework in which the industrial workforce provision system is positioned as a subsystem of a resilient economy, delineating governance levels ranging from the national to the enterprise level. The findings underscore the critical role of resilient human capital in ensuring industrial resilience and competitiveness.

Keywords: industrial policy; Industry 5.; workforce provision system; resilience; human capital; human-centricity; industrial competitiveness; European Union, Ukraine; post-war recovery.