Industry 5.0 and “Made in Italy” handcrafted products: blockchain integration as a dual enabler of luxuriousness and continuous improvement signaling

Purpose This paper investigates how blockchain integration shapes consumers’ perceptions of handcrafted “Made in Italy” products, with particular attention to perceived uniqueness, luxurification and purchase intention. Beyond its technical role in traceability and transparency, blockchain is theorized as a digital quality infrastructure that makes signals of improvement-oriented production practices visible and interpretable to consumers, in coherence with human-centric Industry 5.0 principles and a TQM-inspired interpretive perspective. Design/methodology/approach An explorative research design was adopted through two studies based on typical “Made in Italy” handcrafted products. Study 1 (N = 150) examines the relationships between perceived uniqueness, luxurification and purchase intention. Study 2 (N = 196) employs a between-subject experimental design introducing blockchain integration as an independent variable, testing its indirect effects on purchase intention through perceived uniqueness and luxurification using serial mediation analysis. Findings Results show that blockchain integration significantly enhances the perceived uniqueness of handcrafted “Made in Italy” products, thereby increasing perceptions of luxurification and purchase intention. Luxurification mediates the relationship between perceived uniqueness and consumer response, indicating that blockchain operates not only as a transparency-enhancing technology but also as a symbolic device that strengthens value perceptions by signaling production rigor, intentionality and quality commitment. Practical implications Blockchain can be strategically embedded within the value proposition of “Made in Italy” artisanal firms as a complementary mechanism that reinforces operational excellence and supports luxury positioning. When communicated as evidence of disciplined, improvement-oriented production processes, blockchain may enhance consumers’ perceptions of uniqueness and luxuriousness while supporting small-scale artisans in protecting craftsmanship, cultural heritage and international competitiveness. Originality/value This study contributes to research at the intersection of luxury marketing, product innovation and quality management by empirically demonstrating the dual role of blockchain in artisanal contexts. On the one hand, blockchain functions as a consumer-facing signal that enhances perceived uniqueness and luxurification; on the other, it operates as a continuous-improvement, consistent digital infrastructure that supports operational excellence and process rigor. By conceptualizing blockchain as a bridge between internal quality-oriented practices and external value perception, this study advances understanding of how human–digital collaboration can redefine continuous improvement and luxury value creation within the Industry 5.0 paradigm.