TechConnect, NewWorkTech and SkillAIbility join forces for more inclusive workplaces
A technology can work exactly as designed and still fail the people who use it. The real test is not whether a system functions, but whether it supports its people, fits their work and delivers the value they need.
We were at the NewWorkTech consortium meeting in Rome. Na Fu, Chair of Responsible Leadership at Trinity Business School, and Brendan Rowan, Managing Consultant at BluSpecs, shared the project’s finding and discussed how research can become practical support for more effective, inclusive technology adoption.
The meeting was hosted by the Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies of the National Research Council of Italy (IRPPS-CNR), together with the Italian Down Syndrome Association (AIPD).
Different perspectives, a shared challenge
NewWorkTech, a sister project funded under the same Horizon Europe Scheme, focuses on assistive technology and inclusive employment. Its work connects closely with TechConnect’s central question: what happens when technology meets the reality of daily work.
Together with NewWorkTech and SkillAIbility, the discussion explored how to turn research findings into tools and recommendation that people can use. The shared focus was not simply on introducing technology, but on understanding the conditions that allow people to benefit from it.
From hospital research to practical tools
The team presented findings from 12 hospital case studies across Ireland, the Netherland, Spain and Sweden, drawing on more than 600 hours of observation and 140 interviews. This research analyses how technology fits into everyday work and where its intended benefits diverge from what staff experience in practice.
The discussion then turned to the Human-Tech Skill Complementarity Index. It helps organisations identify gaps by comparing how the technology is being used against how is intended to be used. The team also explored how these findings connect with EU policy priorities, including the Union of Skills and the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Collaboration that moves research into practice
This event opened a discussion about how the three projects can strengthen each other’s work and reach the people who can put their findings to use. Continuing dialogue with policymakers, employers, technology developers and disability organisations. Bringing these perspectives together offers an opportunity to analyse whether emerging tools are relevant, accessible and useful across different organisational settings.
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