The Fifth Industrial Regenerative Revolution (5IRR)—Ontological, Pedagogical and Entrepreneurial approaches

In response to growing ecological and social crises, this paper explores how existing design approaches and ideas of industrialisation can be reimagined to support a regenerative future. Shifting away from extractive and degenerative systems, regeneration moves beyond conventional sustainability to actively restoring and enhancing ecological and social well-being. A key aspect of this shift is rethinking design’s role as a caring, place-based relational practice embedded within more-than-human worlds. In response to the conference call ‘Design Intelligence and the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR)’, we frame this transitional moment as the Fifth Industrial Regenerative Revolution (5IRR). This demands a fundamental reassessment of the principles underpinning design and production, the embrace of ecological stewardship, as well as our role as humans and designers within the broader web of life. Drawing on insights Becoming Regenerative (B-Regen), a UKRI-funded research project, the paper examines what might be required ontologically, operationally, and pedagogically for this revolution to happen. By investigating design education in London, through a series of case studies, it examines how regenerative design will require more than simply replacing conventional materials with more ecological alternatives; it necessitates a complete reimagining of production - considering more than human externalities, locality, suitable scaling and collaborative practices. This paper highlights essential areas across the regenerative design process - from rethinking design education to the development of a revitalising design economy.