SmartWork · Project

AI System That Keeps Aging Office Workers Productive and Healthy on the Job

healthTestedTRL 5

Imagine your workforce is getting older — people want to keep working but their energy, focus, and health naturally change over time. SmartWork built an AI assistant that quietly monitors how someone is doing (stress, fatigue, concentration) and adjusts their work setup automatically. It can shift tasks between home, office, and mobile devices, suggest personalized training, and help managers build teams that play to everyone's strengths. Think of it as a smart workplace coach that adapts to each person as they age.

By the numbers

EUR 3,986,300

EU funding for development

consortium partners

countries represented

total deliverables produced

SMEs in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Europe's workforce is aging fast, and companies face rising costs from sick leave, early retirement, and declining productivity among older employees. Most workplaces have zero tools to detect early signs of cognitive or physical fatigue, let alone adapt work conditions in real time. Businesses need solutions that keep experienced workers productive longer while protecting their health and wellbeing.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered an integrated AI platform with several working software modules: an AnyWhere delivery system for seamless work across devices and locations, an auto-personalization infrastructure that adapts to individual worker needs, a Care Module for health monitoring and interventions, and SmartWork interaction interfaces — all documented across 30 deliverables with both first and final versions produced.

Audience

Who needs this

HR directors at large enterprises with aging workforcesOccupational health and workplace wellness providersInsurance companies offering corporate health plansCo-working and flexible workspace operatorsGovernment agencies managing civil servant productivity

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Corporate HR & Workforce Management

enterprise

Target: Large enterprises (500+ employees) with aging white-collar workforces

If you are a large employer dealing with rising absenteeism and declining productivity among workers over 55 — this project developed an AI-powered work ability monitoring system that detects early signs of cognitive and physical fatigue. The platform, built by a 10-partner consortium across 8 countries, adapts work environments in real time and recommends personalized interventions to keep experienced employees performing at their best.

Occupational Health Services

mid-size

Target: Workplace wellness and occupational health providers

If you are an occupational health provider struggling to move beyond annual check-ups toward continuous monitoring — this project built a Care Module with unobtrusive sensing that tracks worker health, behavior, and emotional status over time. Backed by EUR 3,986,300 in EU funding, the system assesses functional and cognitive decline risk and triggers timely interventions before problems escalate into sick leave.

Enterprise Software & HR Tech

any

Target: HR technology vendors and workplace analytics platforms

If you are an HR tech company looking to add age-aware workforce intelligence to your product — this project delivered a complete auto-personalization infrastructure and AI decision support tools for team formation and training needs prioritization. The AnyWhere delivery system enables seamless work environment transfer between devices and locations, ready for integration into existing digital workplace platforms.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this system?

The SmartWork platform was developed with EUR 3,986,300 in EU funding across a 10-partner consortium. Licensing or deployment costs would depend on the coordinator (Byte Computer, a Greek SME) and their commercialization terms. Based on available project data, no pricing model has been published yet.

Can this scale to a large enterprise with thousands of employees?

The system was designed for office workers and includes an AnyWhere delivery system that works across different devices and environments (home, office, on the move). The auto-personalization infrastructure adapts to individual workers, which suggests it was architected for multi-user deployment. Scaling specifics would need to be discussed with the development team.

What is the IP situation — can we license this technology?

As a Research and Innovation Action funded by the EU, intellectual property is typically owned by the consortium partners. Byte Computer (Greece) coordinated the project with 3 industry partners and 3 SMEs. Licensing arrangements would need to be negotiated directly with the relevant IP holders.

Has this been tested with real workers in real offices?

The project produced both first and final versions of all major software modules, including the Care Module, AnyWhere delivery system, and auto-personalization infrastructure. With 30 deliverables over a 3-year period ending March 2022, testing with real users was part of the project plan. Specific pilot results would need to be requested from the consortium.

How does this integrate with our existing HR and IT systems?

The AnyWhere delivery system was specifically designed for seamless transfer of the work environment between different devices and environments. The SmartWork interaction interfaces provide the integration layer. Based on available project data, the system uses unobtrusive sensing, meaning it was designed to work alongside existing infrastructure rather than replace it.

Does this comply with EU workplace privacy regulations?

The project explicitly emphasizes unobtrusive and pervasive monitoring, suggesting privacy-by-design was a core concern. Being EU-funded under Horizon 2020 means GDPR compliance was a requirement. Detailed data protection measures would be documented in the project deliverables.

Consortium

Who built it

The SmartWork consortium brings together 10 partners from 8 countries, giving it broad European coverage and diverse perspectives on workplace culture. With 3 industry partners (30% industry ratio) and 3 SMEs — including the coordinator Byte Computer from Greece — the project has a solid mix of commercial and research capability. The 2 universities and 2 research organizations provided scientific depth, while the remaining 3 partners likely contributed domain expertise in health, aging, or workplace design. The coordinator being an SME is a positive signal for commercialization, as SMEs typically have stronger incentives to bring results to market.

BYTE COMPUTER ANONYMI VIOMICHANIKIEMPORIKI ETAIREIACoordinator · EL
LINKOPINGS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
INSTITUTO PEDRO NUNES ASSOCIACAO PARA A INOVACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO EM CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIAparticipant · PT
SPARK WORKS ITCparticipant · UK
ROESSINGH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BVparticipant · NL
ECHALLIANCE COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEEparticipant · IE
CARITAS DIOCESANA DE COIMBRAparticipant · PT
AARHUS KOMMUNEparticipant · DK
PANEPISTIMIO PATRONparticipant · EL

How to reach the team

Byte Computer (Greece) — an SME that coordinated the project. Contact details can be found through the project website or CORDIS portal.

Order a report on this consortium See BYTE COMPUTER ANONYMI VIOMICHANIKIEMPORIKI ETAIREIA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how SmartWork's aging workforce AI can benefit your organization? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction to the development team and help assess fit for your specific needs.

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