From Thesis to Transition: An INSIGHT-Inspired Approach to Co-Designing Industry 5.0 Competency Pathways for Early-Stage Researchers

Abstract

Europe faces a critical "translation gap" where doctoral excellence in academia often fails to convert into industrial impact. While Industry 5.0 demands a blend of technical depth, sustainability, and human-centric design, traditional higher academic education remains siloed. This paper presents an approach from the Horizon Europe INSIGHT initiative to co-design modular competency pathways for early-stage researchers. Using a multi-methodological analysis framework, including expert interviews and co-design workshops, we propose a two-layer competency architecture. This layers foundational translational skills (communication, project management) with Industry 5.0 literacies (data governance, value creation). Rather than proposing fixed training tracks, the paper outlines emerging pathway directions and the design principles behind them: modularity, practical relevance, mentoring-rich support, and cross-sector applicability. Its contribution is a scalable way of researcher development towards useful real-world application.