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AgeingatWork · Project

AI-Powered Workplace Adaptation That Keeps Workers Over 50 Productive and Safe

manufacturingPilotedTRL 6
ageingatwork-project.eu

Imagine you're running a factory and half your best people are over 50 — they know everything, but the job is physically harder for them every year. This project built a smart system that watches how each worker moves and works, then quietly adjusts their tasks, workstation setup, and even sends gentle coaching tips through an AR headset. Think of it as a personal trainer for the workplace that keeps experienced employees productive and healthy, instead of pushing them toward early retirement. It was tested in real mining and machine production settings.

By the numbers
50+
Target worker age group — workers aged 50 and older
13
Consortium partners across the project
8
Countries represented in the consortium
EUR 3,995,750
EU contribution to the project
2
Industrial pilot sites (mining and machines production)
31
Total project deliverables produced
46%
Industry partner ratio in the consortium
The business problem

What needed solving

Europe's industrial workforce is aging fast, and companies are losing their most experienced people to early retirement, injury, or declining productivity. Traditional workplaces don't adapt to workers' changing physical and cognitive needs after 50, forcing a painful choice between keeping veterans in roles that hurt them or losing decades of irreplaceable expertise.

The solution

What was built

The project built AR-based situation awareness and telepresence tools (both demonstrated), a personalized Ambient Virtual Coach with adaptive dashboards and motivation system, computational models for ergonomic assessment and predictive health simulations, and unobtrusive worker sensing technology. All components were integrated and evaluated at two industrial pilot sites in mining and machines production.

Audience

Who needs this

Mining companies with experienced workers approaching retirement ageMachine production and heavy manufacturing plants with aging skilled laborOccupational health and safety consultancies seeking technology-backed assessment toolsLarge employers in physically demanding industries facing workforce demographic shiftsHR technology vendors looking for age-adaptive workplace solutions to license or integrate
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Mining & Heavy Industry
enterprise
Target: Mining companies with aging operational workforce

If you are a mining operator dealing with rising injury rates and early retirement among experienced workers over 50 — this project developed AR-based situation awareness tools and personalized ergonomic recommendations tested at a real mining pilot site. The system tracks worker fatigue and physical strain, then adapts task assignments and provides real-time safety alerts, helping you keep your most experienced people on the job longer.

Industrial Manufacturing
mid-size
Target: Machine production and assembly plants

If you are a machine production company struggling to maintain output as your skilled workforce ages — this project built an Ambient Virtual Coach with adaptive dashboards and AR-based telepresence for remote collaboration, piloted at a machines production facility. Workers aged 50+ get personalized workstation adjustments and knowledge-sharing tools, so their decades of expertise stay productive instead of walking out the door.

Occupational Health & Safety Services
SME
Target: Workplace ergonomics and OH&S consultancies

If you are an occupational health consultancy looking for data-driven tools to offer corporate clients — this project created computational intelligence models that assess individual worker needs for ergonomics, health, and safety, then generate personalized recommendations for both the worker and the employer. With 31 deliverables including AR demonstrators, this gives you a technology-backed service offering beyond traditional assessments.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this system?

The project received EUR 3,995,750 in EU funding across 13 partners over 3.5 years to develop the full platform. Licensing or deployment costs are not publicly available. Contact the coordinator to discuss commercial terms or pilot partnerships.

Can this scale to a full factory or mine operation?

The system was evaluated at two pilot sites — one in mining and one in machines production. These were real industrial environments, not lab settings, which suggests the technology can handle operational conditions. Scaling to full deployment would likely require integration with existing factory IT systems.

What about IP and licensing?

With 6 industry partners and 5 SMEs in the consortium, IP is likely shared among partners. The two AR demonstrators (situation awareness tool and telepresence tool) had both public and confidential report versions, suggesting some IP protection. Contact the consortium for licensing arrangements.

Does this comply with worker privacy regulations?

The project objective explicitly mentions 'strict privacy restrictions' for recommendations shared with employers. Worker sensing was designed to be 'highly unobtrusive' and data handling appears to account for GDPR requirements, though specific compliance certifications should be verified with the consortium.

How long would deployment take?

The project ran from January 2019 to June 2022, producing 31 deliverables including working AR demonstrators. Based on available project data, an enterprise deployment would depend on existing IT infrastructure and the number of workers to onboard. A pilot with the existing tools could likely start within months.

Does it integrate with existing factory systems?

The virtual workplace models were designed to encode characteristics of factories, outdoor work sites, and home offices at both physical and process levels. This suggests integration capability with manufacturing execution systems, though specific connector details would need to be discussed with the development team.

Is ongoing support available?

The project closed in June 2022. With 13 partners across 8 countries — including 6 industry partners — some consortium members may offer commercial support or further development. The coordinator (CERTH, Greece) is the best starting point for current availability.

Consortium

Who built it

The 13-partner consortium across 8 countries has a strong industry presence at 46%, with 6 industry partners and 5 SMEs alongside 3 universities and 3 research organizations. This balanced mix means the technology was developed with real business input, not just academic theory. The coordinator is CERTH (Greece), a major national research center with deep ties to industrial applications. The geographic spread across Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Poland, and the UK gives the solution exposure to diverse European labor markets and regulatory environments, which matters for any company considering cross-border deployment.

How to reach the team

CERTH (Ethniko Kentro Erevnas kai Technologikis Anaptyxis), Greece — use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to get the right contact person.

Order a report on this consortiumSee ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how AgeingatWork's piloted AR and coaching tools could help your aging workforce stay productive? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for your specific industry and use case.

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