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In this study, we evaluate the transition from Industry 4.0 (I4.0) to Industry 5.0 (I5.0) using a multicriteria approach that integrates the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Inference Systems (FISs). Key criteria identified through a comprehensive literature review include sustainability, human factors, resilience and organizational management, which are critical for the successful implementation of I5.0. AHP is utilized to rank these criteria and assign relative weights, reflecting their importance in the overall evaluation. FIS is employed to manage the inherent uncertainty and imprecision in decision-making within the context of I5.0. The results provide a holistic view of how companies navigate this transition, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. This study offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with adopting I5.0, emphasizing the utility of combining multicriteria approaches for strategic decision-making in dynamic industrial environments. These findings aim to support organizations in making informed decisions, fostering a more innovative, sustainable and human-centric industry. The combination of these methodologies provides a robust foundation for future research and practical applications in advancing I5.0.

This article deals with the challenge of approaching decision-making processes through strategic environmental assessment (SEA). It is argued that the interaction between policy-making and planning in strategic decision-making processes is a neglected reason for problems with applying SEA, as legislation and guidance on SEA primarily approach either the policy or plan level. To substantiate the argument, the extent of interaction is empirically investigated. Four contemporary decision-making processes in the Danish energy sector are mapped as a series of choices. Fundamental changes with considerable environmental impacts are decided these years, often without preceding SEA processes. The mapping shows a profound interaction between policy-making and planning. In this interaction, public consultation, systematic environmental analyses, and transparency on alternatives are primarily related to choices of planning character. The findings lead to a discussion of the existing SEA guidance that is challenged in terms of adequacy of the guidance to approach the interaction.

Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) is a powerful set of technical and analytical instruments for analyzing environmental impacts, and has found application in supporting Decision-Making Processes (DMPs) over the last two decades. However, there is no interrelated application of ERA in Strategic Decision-Making (SDM) processes, and no systematic research on the approaches and methods of ERA to support the processes of SDM. In this paper, a new approach and methodological system of ERA for SDM process is set up, and then applied to the Principal Coastal Functional Zoning (PCFZ) in Xiamen Bay, China, as a case study to verify the feasibility of the proposed approach and its methodology. The results show that the approach and methodology of ERA for SDM could integrate ERA into the entire SDM process, and thereby support the PCFZ directly. Furthermore, this approach avoids or mitigates against dire environmental risk that are sometimes introduced by the SDM processes.