INESC TEC joins European campaign to promote safer and healthier workplaces

INESC TEC is a partner of a European campaign that seeks to promote safety and health at work. The Institute was the only technological institution with a dedicated workshop at the kick-off event, in Braga.

Susana Rodrigues and Duarte Dias, researchers from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering Research (C-BER), presented INESC TEC’s work and technologies in quantified occupational health. During the workshop, they also addressed the VR2Market, PERFECT, iProcureSecurity, and AgWearCare projects, and the WE SENSS spin-off.

The workshop Quantified Occupational Health: new metrics and algorithms for psychophysiological monitoring is just one of INESC TEC’s contributions to this campaign, promoted by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA); as a partner, the institution will also disseminate and raise awareness of the importance of the topic by the end of the campaign, in 2025. In Portugal, the entity in charge of running the campaign is the Authority for the Work Conditions (ACT), as EU-OSHA’s National Focal Point. INESC TEC’s participation was initially proposed by the Technical Commission for Social Responsibility.

The Healthy Workplaces Campaign – safe and healthy work in the digital age campaign aims to help EU employers to ensure adequate working conditions and quality jobs. EU-OSHA stresses that the campaign is of particular importance, given that “93% of workers in large companies and 85% in micro-enterprises use digital devices”.

“As Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing and collaborative robots become an integral part of work processes, the very nature of work is changing. The campaign acknowledges the significant potential for improving occupational safety and health while addressing emerging risks in this rapidly evolving environment”, stated the Agency.

INESC TEC researcher Cristina Barbosa was also present in Braga, representing EEN – Enterprise Europe Network, together with Helena Lopes, from CEC – Business Council of the Center/CCIC – Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Center, to disseminate and involve national SMEs with the good practices of the European Healthy Workplaces Campaigns. 2023–2025.