As digital transformation accelerates, the conversation around the future of work is no longer about whether machines will replace humans, but how they can work together. The TechConnect project is addressing this shift head-on with a groundbreaking conceptual framework: Human-Tech Skill Complementarity. 

Why skill complementarity matters 

The rapid rise of AI, automation, and smart technologies is reshaping jobs across sectors. Yet, too often, the discussion around these technologies assumes a one-way relationship: humans as users of tools. What TechConnect highlights is a deeper, more dynamic process: one where human and technological skills evolve together. 

Instead of viewing machines as competitors or static instruments, the Human-Tech Skill Complementarity framework focuses on synergy, co-learning, and adaptability. Humans influence how technologies are designed and applied; in return, technologies reshape how we work, think, and learn. 

From static roles to co-evolution 

Most existing research on human-technology collaboration is discipline-specific and often anchored in static notions of interaction. As collaboration migrates into digital and virtual environments, a new model of partnership is emerging, one where machines are no longer just tools, but intelligent agents that adapt, support, and extend human capabilities. 

This evolving relationship calls for a dynamic, iterative framework: something that captures how humans and technologies mutually improve through interaction.  

A foundation for action 

Drawing from fields like computing science, management, and psychology, the TechConnect framework offers: 

• New theoretical foundations for studying how skills co-evolve with technology 

• Practical guidance for organisations looking to boost innovation and productivity through collaborative tech design 

• Policy insight for institutions seeking to ensure that technology complements rather than displaces workers 

What’s next? 

This is just the beginning. By moving beyond outdated models of task division and embracing co-evolution, TechConnect invites stakeholders to reimagine what skill development and job design can look like in a tech-driven world. 

🔗 Read the full Human-Tech Skill Complementarity Conceptual Framework