Technology on human terms

There are many positive aspects of new technology – perhaps even most aspects – but there are also many questions that must be clarified. Our ambition is to create awareness of the effects of new technology and who may be affected, and at the same time create awareness that technological development can be influenced and controlled.

There is always room to maneuver, for shaping how new technologies can be useful and relevant to people and society. Our research within Creaternity is built on the firm conviction that the social dimensions of technology development must have a prominent place, both in designing the technology and in analysing it from several perspectives. We create Technology on human terms.

The design of new technology and new work organisation must be harmonized with both good working conditions and efficient production that can compete in a global market; the quite optimistic scenarios often described by engineers and management consultants are not likely to become a reality on its own. New technology has not in itself a particular way to alter the effectiveness or working conditions, whether positive or negative. To enable a positive development, the technical and organisational development needs also to include knowledge of the human, the working environment and the organization of work (both formal and informal). Creaternity has an important role to play when new technology is reviewed and introduced, but that role is not pre-given to us; we have to mark our position by highlighting issues that are important and relevant. A first step is to ask the right questions.

Relevant subjects

• Human Work Science
• Mining and Rock Engineering
• Product Innovation
• Information Systems

Some current projects

Attract – A road map for attractive, inclusive and safe mine work
The Swedish mining industry is facing a technical leap where digitalisation creates new conditions for the content and organization of the mining work. Based on this new industrial context, the goal of this project is to create a roadmap for attractive, inclusive and safe mining work that at the same time is efficient and high-performing.

The project consists of two parts. In the first we study the effect of digitization on the mining work mainly in the Boliden mines. The second part focuses on gender and safety in LKAB mines. These two work packages are combined in a phase where we develop new knowledge about the interplay between digitalisation, competence, safety, and gender.
Contact: Lena Abrahamsson

Production 4.0
Production 4.0 is a collaboration between IUC Norr and Human Work Sciences at Luleå University of Technology. The project focuses on further development of the production process of the region's industrial SMEs, based on strategies for flow efficiency, sustainable production (social, ecological, economic) and new innovative digital production technology.
Contact: Magnus Stenberg

NEXGEN SIMS
A key aspect of the project is to develop autonomous carbon neutral mining processes. This includes the use of battery-electric mining equipment, full utilization of 5G for optimal connectivity and positioning, autonomous material handling, AI powered traffic and fleet control and collaboration among machines. The project is also focusing on the mine worker of the future – "the digital miner" – by developing a vision of future mining that combines a human perspective, including gender equality and social sustainability, with autonomous technology. NEXGEN SIMS is a large EU project coordinated by Epiroc.
Contact: Joel Lööw or Erik Lund

PrOSA - Integration of organizational and social aspects in the pre design process
In general, the Swedish metal industry has high quality work environment work. There is an awareness of the advantage of considering work environment issues at an early stage. The problem is that questions about organizational and social work environment do not really fit into this framework. These issues are not considered to require any major investments and can therefore be postponed in the planning process, usually until the plant is ready for operation. Our project aims to broaden the perspective so that issues of organizational and social work environment will be considered in the early planning phases. With the right handling of organizational and social work environment issues, the industry can offer attractive workplaces with interesting and developing work tasks in a good and safe work environment.
Contact: Jan Johansson