HumanTech
Humans and Technology

Redefining the relationship between technology and people for a sustainable digital transition of industrial systems.

HumanTech – Humans and Technology is the project selected and financed by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) for the 2023-2027 period as part of the initiative “Departments of Excellence”. The initiative rewards departments that stand out for the quality of the research produced and funds specific development projects.

The Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering is among the 180 Italian departments funded, across all scientific disciplines, and ranked first within the Industrial and Information Engineering area nationwide.

GOALS

GOVERNANCE

RESEARCH LINES

CONTACTS

RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURES

HUMAN CAPITAL TO RECRUIT

HIGHLY QUALIFYING EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

GOALS

New technological development models for sustainable industrial systems.

The project finds its motivation in the pressing need to make the current technological development model evolve from the maximization of the economic result towards a more harmonious model that in addition to the economic-financial implications also takes into account human, social and environmental ones.

Within industrial systems, the new digital technologies are a formidable ground of challenge, precisely by virtue of their transformative capacity, their diffusion speed and their pervasiveness, as they interact with these multiple dimensions. And it is just in this context that the project aims to propose new development models and processes capable of accelerating the transition towards industrial systems that are sustainable, inclusive and attentive to individual and collective well-being.

The objective is to conduct innovative research that has both scientific impact on one hand and educational and social impact on the other, by sharing the results within academic circles as well as among managers of businesses, organizations, public and private institutions, entrepreneurs, and policy makers.

RESEARCH LINES

The project investigates the complex relationship between people – considered in both their individual and social dimensions – and digital technologies, according to three main research lines:

Human-centred digital technology development models and processes

The goal is to support the development of theories, models, tools and processes capable to integrate the human dimension into managerial practices of technological development with the aim of steering digital technologies toward the well-being of individuals and society.

These are the main research topics:

Models and approaches aimed at introducing a person-centred perspective into innovation processes to contribute to people's well-being and respond to today's social challenges.
Funding human-centred innovation.
Innovation, competition, and industrial dynamics for collective well-being

Resilient and sustainable production, logistics and supply chain processes, enabled by digital technologies

The line aims to study the role and impact of digital innovation in the development of industrial systems and supply chains oriented towards personal and collective wellbeing, especially through an enhancement of regenerative and resilience capacities.

These are the main research topics:

Collaborative and distributed manufacturing models enabled by digital platforms.
Models and methods for configuring and managing regenerative and resilient industrial supply chains.

Digital-enabled, human-centred organisational models and work systems

This line aims to develop new joint technology-organisation, technology-job, technology-work-system design approaches oriented at improving not only economic but also social performance through a better understanding of the impacts of digital technologies on people, including behavioral, cognitive and psycho-physical aspects.

These are the main research themes:

Digital technologies and new person-centred organisational and work models.
Person-centered digital factory model.
Digital technologies and models for the development of new skills, inclusion and diversity management.

The three areas cover in a complementary and synergistic way the different levels in which the person-technology relationship influences the key characteristics of industrial systems, i.e., the development of technology and its adoption in the transformation processes of organisational systems and in the reconfiguration of work systems.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

The HumanTech project plans to enhance DIG resources through the following actions:

Research Infrastructure: the new Laboratories
Recruiting of highly skilled Human Capital
Highly qualifying educational activities

RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURES: THE NEW LABORATORIES

The project involves the establishment of three new laboratory infrastructures that will enhance frontier research in the three research lines:

Laboratory of Cognitive Ergonomics in Cyber Physical Systems (CORE LAB)

The laboratory focuses on the study of cognitive ergonomics and conducts experimental studies on human cognitive and physiological reactions, using advanced devices and sensors, in the interaction between individuals and digital technologies during typical work activities in industrial production and logistics contexts, either real or realistically reproduced.

Laboratory of Behavioural Research in Immersive Environment (BRIEL LAB)

The laboratory enables multimodal and multi-method research on the interaction among individuals, as well as between individuals and digital and virtual environments, with a particular focus on organizational behaviors, learning, content consumption, and office work contexts.
Through tools for biometric analysis of behavior and emotional spectrum of users, it conducts behavioral research activities and high-ecology experimental activities (e.g., spaces for focus groups, reconfigurable spaces to reconstruct life/work experiences).

HumanTech Data Hub

Data repository where to collect and store all the data supporting the HumanTech research program, to offer a unique, simplified tool for data access and discovery.

A tool for researchers at DIG that promotes access and integration of data from heterogeneous sources such as experimental activities conducted in the BRIEL and CORE laboratories or from existing databases, or newly acquired ones, characterized by different access modes and privileges.

The laboratories will be developed and networked to enable lines of empirical research that integrate the understanding of technological development processes and the evaluation of impacts on individuals and society, through a systematic analysis of the relationships between technology and human and social factors.

THE RECRUITING OF HIGHLY SKILLED HUMAN CAPITAL

The project includes the recruiting of new faculty members with high international scientific profiles to broaden the Department’s expertise in areas relevant to the project, such as Work and Organizational Psychology and Human Factors and Cognitive Ergonomics. It also planned the recruitment of young researchers and new technical-administrative staff with skills functional to the project.

1 Full Professor in Work and Organizational Psychology
1 Associate Professor in Human Factors and Cognitive Ergonomics
1 Associate Professor in Management Engineering
5 Fixed-term Senior Researchers (RTT)
6 Post-docs
1 Lab Technician for CORE Lab
1 Lab Technician for BRIEL Lab
1 Data Scientist fot the DataHub
1 Project manager

HIGHLY QUALIFYING EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

It is planned to further develop expertise and research capacity on specific project themes through the following activities:

13 Ph.D. Scholarships
4 Early Research Scholars Schools for Ph.D. students and Post-docs
3 Annual Ph.D. Courses for 4 years on the following topics:
- Data-driven Decision Models and Methods in Operations Management
- Human-centric technology development and industrial applications
- Experimental and behavioral methods
12 Visiting Scholar positions
3 MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) targeting university students and professionals
5 editions of the annual event HumanTechDay
New courses in the Master of Science in Management Engineering

GOVERNANCE

Directs and supervises strategic actions to ensure the achievement of the project’s objectives.

Raffaella Cagliano, Director
Paolo Trucco, Deputy Director
Federico Caniato, Program Manager
Michela Arnaboldi, DRIG Coordinator
Luca Grilli, Referee for Research
Chiara Franzoni (Research Line 1)
Josip Kotlar (Research Line 1)
Claudio Dell’Era (Research Line 1)
Antonio Ghezzi (Research Line 1)
Giovanni Miragliotta (Research Line 2)
Antonella Moretto (Research Line 2)
Stefano Elia (Research Line 2)
Guido Micheli (Research Line 3)
Evila Piva (Research Line 3)
Filomena Canterino (Research Line 3)

Managers responsible for the design and implementation of the laboratories.

Lucio Lamberti (BRIEL LAB)
Emanuele Lettieri (BRIEL LAB)
Vincenzo Butticè (BRIEL LAB)
Filomena Canterino (BRIEL LAB)
Marco Mandolfo (BRIEL LAB)
Sergio Terzi (CORE LAB)
Matthias Klumpp (CORE LAB)
Guido Micheli (CORE LAB)
Carlotta Orsenigo (DATA HUB)
Massimiliano Guerini (DATA HUB)
Andrea Flori (DATA HUB)
Rocco Mosconi (DATA HUB)
Paola Riva (DATA HUB)
Stefano Baruffaldi (DATA HUB)

In the role of strategic consultancy to the Coordination Committee, provides guidance on the topics and research methodologies to be developed, aiming to maximize the scientific relevance and socio-economic impact of the project.