New Horizon Europe project brings together AI, Augmented Reality, Digital Twins and advanced sensing technologies to make European manufacturing safer, more inclusive and more human-centric.
Thessaloniki, Greece, 11 September 2026 – A new European research initiative is setting out to rethink how advanced digital technologies are introduced into manufacturing, with the needs, safety and well-being of workers at its core.
EMPOWR – Empowering Advanced Manufacturing Workers through Human-Centric Augmentation is a 36-month Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action developing a new generation of worker-centred technologies for advanced manufacturing The project brings together 17 European partners and has received approximately €5.98 million in EU funding.
Rather than approaching digitalisation primarily through automation, EMPOWR starts from a different principle: technology should adapt to workers and support their capabilities, not add complexity to their everyday tasks.
The project will develop a cognitive ecosystem combining Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Digital Twins and advanced sensing technologies to improve worker safety, inclusivity, productivity and well-being. This approach reflects the broader vision of Industry 5.0, where technological progress is closely connected with human well-being, resilience and sustainable industrial development.
Intelligent support designed around workers
At the centre of the EMPOWR ecosystem is ALMA, the Adaptive Learning Manufacturing Assistant, a multimodal AI assistant designed to provide workers with real-time, personalised and context-aware support through natural interaction.
ALMA will work alongside an adaptive AR workbench, real-time defect detection, worker intention prediction and strain monitoring systems. These technologies will be integrated through a standardised Digital Twin framework that connects workers, machines, sensors and management systems, enabling more responsive and effective human-machine collaboration.
The project will also address factors that are often overlooked in industrial digitalisation, including ergonomics, cognitive load, fatigue, trust, accessibility and individual worker needs.
From research to real industrial environments
A key part of EMPOWR will be the validation of its technologies through two industrial pilot cases.
The first pilot will focus on thermoplastic composite layup using Automated Fiber Placement in aerospace manufacturing, where operators work with technically complex processes and demanding quality requirements.
The second pilot will focus on smart automated PET preform production, a high-throughput industrial environment where continuous monitoring, rapid intervention and reliable collaboration between workers and automated systems are critical.
Together, the two pilots will allow the consortium to assess how human-centric augmentation technologies perform across very different manufacturing settings.
Workers as active participants in Industry 5.0
Worker involvement will extend beyond testing the final technologies.
Through a Living Labs methodology, workers, managers and other stakeholders will participate in co-design, scenario development, feedback and iterative validation throughout the project. This participatory approach will help ensure that the technologies respond to real workplace needs and can be introduced in ways that are useful, trusted and inclusive.
EMPOWR will also examine the ethical, psychological, organisational and regulatory dimensions of human-AI collaboration, including human oversight, fairness, worker acceptance, occupational health and safety, and responsible AI deployment.
Expected outcomes include reduced defect rates and downtime, improved ergonomics and worker well-being, faster worker upskilling through adaptive training modules, and actionable insights for EU Industry 5.0 policies.
European collaboration begins in Thessaloniki
The EMPOWR consortium officially came together on 25–26 June 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece, for its Kick-off Meeting, hosted by project coordinator Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH). CERTH coordinates a multidisciplinary consortium spanning research, manufacturing, human factors, occupational safety, AI, AR, embedded systems, training, industrial networks and policy engagement.
During the two-day meeting, partners aligned on the project’s technical roadmap, industrial pilots, Living Labs and activities supporting the communication, exploitation and wider uptake of EMPOWR results.
Over the next three years, the project will work towards demonstrating how advanced digital technologies can strengthen manufacturing performance while creating safer, more resilient, inclusive and attractive workplaces for current and future generations of industrial workers.
About EMPOWR
EMPOWR – Empowering Advanced Manufacturing Workers through Human-Centric Augmentation is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action funded under HORIZON-CL4-2025-01. The project runs for 36 months and is coordinated by the Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH). Its work combines human-centric AI, Augmented Reality, Digital Twins, sensing technologies, participatory design and industrial validation to support the transition towards Industry 5.0.