The challenge of bringing new technology to working practice
Published: June 7, 2022, 9:00 AM Updated: June 13, 2022, 4:40 p.m.New roles and working methods await everyone who works in the manufacturing industry. Skills development will be a central issue for the next ten years. Photo: Kent Eng for University West Industry 4.0 changes working life for many. Digitization places demands on new knowledge, new ways of collaborating and new ways of leading and organizing work. But how to do it? Researchers at University West are looking for answers together with industry. Digitization means that many industrial companies are investing heavily in new technology. It is equally important to invest in the staff’s competence development and have an understanding of the complexity of the technology change. – The step from investing in new technology to having a functioning industrial practice is often longer and more complex than anticipated. It is not enough that the organization learns to use the new technology, it must also work together with the systems and processes that are already in place in an efficient way, says Lars Walter, professor of Work-Integrated Learning with a focus on industry digitalization, University West. – Industry leaders generally do not seem to be worried about the new technology, but think more about how employees should receive it. Before companies invest in, for example, a new robot park, management needs to put on employees’ glasses. How does the new technology affect the work of the operator, middle manager, economist and more? What new skills do they need? – It usually does not work to first take in the technology and then find out what new knowledge and learning is needed. If the result is to be optimal, the staff must participate in the process from the start. In this way, costly mistakes can be avoided and the changeover becomes smoother and faster.Researches together with industryLars and his research colleagues at University West delve into questions about how industry can integrate employees in technology change in a good way. In one of several ongoing research projects, A-HIL, new work models and critical factors for organization and learning are identified. – This is about understanding how artificial and human intelligence can be integrated in a smart way in the companies’ digitization process. It is a great learning process for all functions in the company. On integration between artificial and human intelligence – the A-HIL project – In the Restart project, we study how unexpected production stoppages occur, how to avoid errors and create solutions that facilitate restart, for example with the help of an AI / AR system for operators and maintenance personnel. About the problem of production stoppage – the project Restart About University West
University West is Sweden’s leading university in Work-Integrated Learning. Within the Primus research environment, technology and learning are combined in a unique way. Engineers and social scientists research and learn together with industrial companies in a number of different industry-relevant projects. In the research area Industrial Work-Integrated Learning, the focus is on industry’s challenges in three areas:
* Digitization
* Skills development and lifelong learning
* Adjustment for sustainable developmentRead more about University West at hv.se/primus The article is produced by Brand Studio in collaboration with University West and not an article by Dagens industri
