Published on: November 14, 2024

How emerging technologies such as AI and robotics can be harnessed to enhance human work, rather than replace it, is the focus of the new €3 million TechConnect research project .

The project, funded by the European Union as part of Horizon Europe, is coordinated by Professor Na Fu from Trinity Business School and brings together nine partners across Europe, including universities, SMEs and hospitals. The project aims to rethink the way human skills interact with digital technologies.

Na Fu, professor of human resources management and project coordinator, explained: “As digital transformation accelerates, the question of whether technology will replace or empower human workers has become urgent. Through TechConnect, we aim to discover how tools like AI and automation can complement human skills, improve job quality and support inclusive growth.

“At its core, TechConnect explores “human-technology skills complementarity”: how humans and technology can work together to boost productivity, improve job quality, and benefit society.

At recent meetings at Trinity Business School and Tallaght University Hospital, the consortium set out the project’s research agenda and defined case studies that will inform the creation of a new human and technology skills complementarity index .

This index will measure how human skills and digital tools interact across different sectors, providing a basis for better integration of technology into the workforce.

“Advanced technologies, including AI and robotics, offer promising solutions to support the ‘4 Ds’ of work: boring, dirty, dangerous or expensive tasks. However, there is growing concern that human roles may be reduced to simply managing machines, without considering the unique value that individuals bring to organizations. The aim of TechConnect is to ensure that as technology advances, it enhances rather than diminishes human potential,” according to Professor Fu.

TechConnect has five main objectives to build a framework for the complementarity of human and technological skills:

1. Develop a conceptual framework: In-depth literature reviews and surveys across multiple sectors will provide insight into how human skills interact with technology. TechConnect will gather data from more than 1,200 professionals across four countries to shape this framework.
2. Create a human and technology skills complementarity index: Through observational case studies and hundreds of hours of field work, TechConnect will create an index to compare how human and technology skills work together, helping to assess productivity and job quality in all sectors.
3. Develop predictive models: The project will build models identifying key factors for effective human-technology collaboration, which will help guide training and workforce development efforts in specific sectors.
4. Influencing Industry Practices: TechConnect aims to reshape the way technology is implemented by creating business cases and guidelines for various sectors. This will support resilient and productive workplaces that prioritize the complementarity of human and technological skills.
5. Expand and disseminate results: To ensure lasting impact, TechConnect will engage policymakers, technology developers and stakeholders through workshops and discussions. This will promote the continuous adaptation and improvement of the complementarity of human and technological skills across Europe.

TechConnect brings together the expertise of nine leading organizations: Trinity College Dublin; Mälardalen University in Sweden; Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain; Utrecht University (UU), Netherlands; BluSpecs digital innovation consultancy; Tallaght University Hospital, Ireland; Västerås, Sweden; Ramon y Cajal Hospital, Spain; Madrid; and University Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands.

“TechConnect’s work will provide critical insights into the evolving relationship between human skills and digital technologies, with a focus on productivity, job quality and social equity. By producing tools and guidelines, the project aims to ensure that technology is used to support and enhance human roles, rather than simply replacing them. This research will benefit technology users, developers, managers, educators and policy makers across Europe, creating a model for a digital future that values ​​human contribution,” added Professor Fu.

Professor Laurent Muzellec, Dean of Trinity Business School, said:

“The TechConnect project represents an important step in aligning human skills with digital innovation. With funding of €3 million, this initiative reflects the power of collaboration between academics, healthcare providers and technology experts. quality of employment and place Europe at the forefront of digital growth.”

Professor Sinéad Ryan, Dean of Research at Trinity College Dublin, added:

“This project comes at a pivotal time as we examine the intersection of human skills and digital technologies. Funding from Horizon Europe allows us to conduct research that has real impact, promoting social equity and improving the quality of employment in our communities.”

Learn more about TechConnect:

TechConnect is a Horizon Europe-funded project that aims to understand the impact of advanced digital technologies on human skills and develop frameworks enabling the adoption of productive, human-centered technologies across all sectors. By making the complementarity of human and technological skills a central concept of workforce development, TechConnect aims to have a lasting impact on Europe’s digital transformation. The project’s toolkit for assessment, training and development will help equip Europe’s workforce to meet the demands of an increasingly digital economy.

Learn more about https://horizontechconnect.eu.