Motivation

In view of the increasing complexity of industrial value chains, combining human expertise with generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create hybrid work systems opens up considerable potential for strengthening organizational resilience. For employees, AI support creates additional freedom in the choice of working hours and location, and their problem-solving skills are strengthened through interaction with technology. Generative AI to secure experience-based knowledge is already available, but its integration into the organization of work from a personnel strategy perspective and to promote resilience still needs to be tested and validated.

Goals and procedure
In the HyKoSy research project, hybrid, AI-supported work systems for production, sales and supplier relationships are being developed and scientifically evaluated in eight use cases. The focus is on designing new work roles and increasing the acceptance of AI-supported job designs. Based on a scenario method and SWOT analysis, resilience-enhancing factors are identified using a critical incident approach and transferred into practical approaches for onboarding or flexible retirement. During validation, disruption scenarios are simulated in order to record the stability-building parameters, bundle them in a resilience monitoring system and transfer them into operational KPI systems.

Innovations and prospects

Previous knowledge management systems assume that departing specialists will be replaced by new ones. HyKoSy enables the flexible use of digital assistance in AI-supported teams, even when there is a shortage of skilled workers and changes in work organization. These hybrid work organizations with AI as a bridging function are relevant in terms of HR strategy and serve to develop individual and organizational skills that increase resilience.

Program

HYKOSY is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space in the “Future of Value Creation – Research on Production, Services and Work” program and with funds from the European Social Fund Plus of the European Union (ESF Plus) and is managed by the Project Management Agency Karlsruhe (PTKA) (funding reference: 02L24C050). The funding amounts to around 2 million euros for three years (01/2026-12/2028).

Project consortium

The project consortium brings together researchers from the fields of ergonomics and engineering with stakeholders from various SMEs and transfer specialists in the Ruhr region.