FEES council Naples 2025

FEES Council Meeting – Naples, 7 October 2025

The FEES Council gathered in Naples on 7 October 2025 for a productive and forward-looking meeting, bringing together representatives from across Europe to discuss current projects, future initiatives, and the evolving role of ergonomics in the age of Industry 5.0.

special thanks goes to Francesco Draicchio for the excellent organization of the meeting and the warm hospitality in Naples. His efforts ensured that the council could work effectively and exchange ideas in an inspiring environment.

European Conference and Project Updates

The meeting opened with confirmation of attendance and adoption of the draft agenda. Updates were shared on upcoming European conferences and projects, including a new initiative supported by Tihomir. The group reviewed the minutes of the previous meeting and discussed preparations for future events.

Ergonomics in Standardization Processes

A central theme was the role of ergonomics in European standardization. Participants underlined the importance of involving more ergonomists in revising machinery standards, building on the achievements of the new Machinery Regulation. A community of practice will be established to coordinate efforts and ensure ergonomics remains visible in technical standards, bridging regulation and workplace application.

FEES – EU-OSHA Collaboration

The council reaffirmed FEES’ role as an official partner in EU-OSHA campaigns, including past work on Digitalization at Work and the upcoming campaign on psychosocial risks. Members agreed on the importance of engaging national focal points and strengthening cooperation with European safety organizations.

Website and Financial Updates

Website updates were discussed, with societies encouraged to send in information for publication. Options for closer integration with national society websites were explored. The financial report showed a healthy situation, with recovery since the COVID period, new budget forecasting methods, and a reserve fund in place.

Education, Training, and Professional Development

The council addressed challenges in ergonomics education and certification, particularly in Italy where programs remain fragmented. Comparisons with other countries highlighted the need for structured training pathways and stronger professional recognition. The importance of promoting ergonomics in universities, industry, and public life was stressed.

International Cooperation and Initiatives

Updates were presented from several national societies, including Portugal, Finland, Ireland, Italy, and Hungary. Activities ranged from postgraduate ergonomics courses and certification protocols to webinars, congress planning, and initiatives for school ergonomics. The council also exchanged views on Industry 5.0, emerging European projects, and the development of presentation materials to showcase the value of ergonomists and human factors specialists.

Looking Ahead

The council also discussed the upcoming IEA conference, future collaborations, and the importance of maintaining unity within the European ergonomics community. Plans for the following day’s seminar were finalized, with a focus on French organizations as a case study for professional cooperation models.

The Naples meeting demonstrated once again the strength of the FEES network, the value of collaboration, and the shared commitment to advancing ergonomics and human factors across Europe.

FEES Council meeting 2024

The next council will be held in Gijon, Spain, in the “city of culture”, on the 18th of September, 2024.

For more information, visit http://www.laboralciudaddelacultura.com/es/3/congresos/6/convenciones.html.

The Asociación Española de Ergonomía (AEE) welcomes us and will hold its annual congress the same week, September 19 and 20, at the same location. The congress program is under construction. A simultaneous translation in English will be organized. A round table will be organized: “Practice of ergonomics in European countries, what is at stake?”

How to get to Gijon

The FEES Council Agenda

The FEES Council will be organized in two parts:

  • Morning Session: The board will present the actions during the past year, the account, and the projects.
  • Afternoon Session: Open discussions between members.

Each member should prepare one slide showing:

  • The main actions carried out in the past year are important for the national association concerned.
  • The main actions are planned for the year to come.

The objective is to share the issues everyone has in their country, the actions that may address them, and identify how a FEES contribution may help.

These points will be shared during the AEE congress through the round table, with discussions with the attendants.

TRAIN4WORK

Project Structure

Project organisation

  • Project management & Quality management: To assure an adequate deployment of the project activities and the achievement of objectives set within the timescale and resources planned
  • Definition of curriculum: Identification of training requirements, definition of learning objectives and course structure
  • Development of training contents in English: To develop the contents based on the curriculum and the learning methodology
  • Development of e-learning course contents in English: Transform all the materials developed into a fully functional e-learning course, ready to be used in the pilot tests
  • Validation of the course and lessons learnt: Validation of the course adequacy to the skills/requirements of targeted end-users and usability assessment of the online platform
  • Development and Implementation of the final version of the e-learning course: Based on Deliverable 5.1 (Report on the course validation and lessons learnt), IBV will develop a final version of the e-learning course, implementing changes proposed in the validation. The course will be translated into Spanish (IBV), German (IAD) and French (UGA)
  • Dissemination and exploitation activities: Planning and management of dissemination activities and exploitation of project output

Multiplier event

  • E1. Workshop on design of human-centred work. (18-02-2020) (IAD)
  • E2. Workshop on Train4HCWork e-learning course. (10-03-2021) (IBV)

Intellectual Outputs

  • IO1. Course curriculum (M1-M6): It will include the learning objectives, the structure of the selected contents, the type of reinforcement activities, the ongoing monitoring schedule, the methodology for a continuous assessment, and potential accreditation procedures. It will be available in two different formats, text file and project website, and will be developed in English.
  • IO2. Online course in English (M7-M21): This output will consist of the first version online of the Train4HCWork course developed according to the curriculum (IO1). This course will include in an open e-learning platform the contents previously developed and reinforcement activities. This first prototype will be developed in English and will be ready to be tested in pilot validations.
  • IO3. Online course in French, German and Spanish (M17-M29): There will be four main actions to deploy the final course: validation of the first version of the e-learning course (IO2) (pilot course), development of the final version of the e-learning course, translation (to Spanish, German and French) and implementation in the platform.

Project results

  • AR1. Training requirements: Partners will develop a report summarizing the results of the studies performed to detect the vocational training requirements (knowledge, skills and competences) across Europe. This report will be provided in electronic format and disseminated at the website of the project in the Multiplier Event 1 and at partners’ websites. It will be the basis for the definition of a suitable and precise curriculum of the course (intellectual output IO1). In order to get these training requirements, three focus groups (FG) in three different countries and one on-line survey will be carried out.
  • AR2. Training contents: It will include the final version of the training contents. Training contents will cover the most important issues for a human-centred design, integrating knowledge in ergonomics, health and safety at work, and productivity.
  • AR3. Validation of the e-learning course: There will be a pilot course leaded by FEES (focused on professionals of ergonomics), UGA (focused on engineering students and professionals) and Structo (focused on specific demands of companies). IBV and IAD will monitor progress of participants and analyse the results of this monitoring. Finally, a report with recommendations to improve the training course (contents, reinforcement activities, schedule, platform, evaluation activities, etc.) will be proposed.
  • AR4. Dissemination activities: Besides the multiplier events, additional dissemination activities will be carried out. These activities will include, among others, presentations on key events of the target groups, dissemination through social networks, posters in conferences and symposia, or dissemination in the websites of project.
TRAIN4WORK

Consortium Project partners

IBV | Instituto de Biomecánica de Valencia (Coordinator)

The Instituto de Biomecanica (IBV) is a technological centre that studies the behavior of the human body and its interaction with products, environments and services. Founded in 1976, the Institute is currently coordinated under the agreement of the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE) and the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV).
Contact: Elisa Signes Pérez, elisa.signes@ibv.org

IAD (TUD) | Technische Universität Darmstadt – Institut fur Arbeitswissenschaft

The Technische Universitat (TU) Darmstadt is one of Germany’s leading technical universities. Its around 303 professors, 4,250 employees and 25,100 students devote their talents and best efforts to the significant future research fields energy, mobility, communications and information technologies, housing and living conditions. The wide variety of disciplines represented are all focused on technology, as viewed from the vantage point of engineering, the natural sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences, and cover the full range of academic endeavor, from the origination of basic concepts to practical, everyday applications.

Contact: Jurij Wakula, wakula@iad.tu-darmstadt.de

UGA | Universite Grenoble Alpes

The Universite Grenoble Alpes (UGA) is a comprehensive university offering high-quality education in all academic disciplines and at all levels (undergraduate, master, doctorate, as well as certificate programs) to 45,000 students in initial and lifelong learning. Its dense territorial grid embraces the towns of Grenoble, Valence, Vienne, as well as several units located over the Isere territory. It belongs to the Communaute Universite Grenoble Alpes (COMUE) and works together with other HEIs on and outside of the campus, mutualizing some of their actions to improve the quality of their services.

Contact: Nicolas Villerme, nicolas.vuillerme@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Structo Ingenieros Consultores S.L.

Structo is a dynamic company with a high adaptation to customer needs, because we have a multidisciplinary team of engineering. We have experience in conducting projects and Facilties. We develop projects in all sectors of industry and institutions. Project Management and Construction of industries of all sectors and facilities. We also carry out projects as industrial machinery, technical projects operating licenses, legalization of all kinds of industries and fire safety projects in industrial establishments.

Contact: Hugo Merelo, hugo.merelo@structoingenieros.com

Federation of European Ergonomics Societies (FFES)

FEES is the Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies. Its mission is to enhance the recognition of ergonomics contributing to economic development, to quality of life, to health and safety at work, and to social progress in European Countries.

The formal foundation of FEES took place in the context of the 48th Spring Conference of the Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft in Munich, on May 7th, 2003. It is a network of the ergonomics societies in the various countries in Europe according to the description by the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) of IEA Networks. Members are ergonomics societies, not individuals. All ergonomics societies in Europe can be a member of FEES – inside the European Union landscape, but also beyond.

The governing body is the FEES Council, consisting of representatives of the member societies. All major decisions are taken by the Council, which meets at least once a year. The day-to-day administration is performed by the FEES Executive Committee, which is supported by working groups for specific issues.

For more information contact Pedro Ferreira, treasurer of FEES: treasurer@ergonomics-fees.eu

TRAIN4WORK

Train4Work News & Events

May 2021

“Human-centred design is the solution to develop effectiveefficient  and productive work environments”

Free Webinar
Dissemination of project
Results20th May 202111:00 – 12:00 (CET)

The characteristics of the spaces and workstations affect the development of the work in a very relevant way, from the point of view of the safety and health of the workers and also in relation to the effectiveness, efficiency and productivity in the tasks. 

Human-centred work environments consider their characteristics and needs in the design and implementation to ensure the proper performance of tasks. 

Under this approach, following the methodology of human-centered design and applying it to the development of work environments, within the framework of the “Train4HCwork” project an online course has been developed that includes the disciplines and key aspects to consider for the development of human-centered industrial environments. 

ADDRESSED TO: 

  • Professionals related to the design and implementation of work environments. 
  • Responsible for planning, processes, job design, production department personnel or industry organization. 
  • Designers of machinery or work equipment. 
  • Personnel responsible for health and safety, human resources personnel. • Students from nearby areas of knowledge. 

OBJETIVES: 

Present IBV as a reference center in ergonomics and human factors. • Introduce the human-centered design approach and how to translate it into the design and implementation of industrial / work environments. • Present the new Train4HCwork course.

MODALITY:

Online 100%. The participants will connect through a videoconference system. The access codes will be provided once the registration is formalized. 

CONTENTS: 

  1. Presentation of the IBV and the Occupational Health Unit and introduction to human-centered design. 
  2. Application of human-centered design to spaces and workstations 
  3. Importance and necessity of the adaptation to the people of the work environments. The point of view of the ergonomists. 
  4. Detailed explanation of the course developed within the framework of the Train4HCwork project. 

SPEAKERS: 

  • Mercedes Sanchis. Head of Innovation – Occupational Health and Safety at Instituto de Biomecánica. 
  • Raquel Marzo. Researcher at Instituto de Biomecánica. People’s Needs and Preferences Area. 
  • Alberto Ferreras. Researcher at Instituto de Biomecánica. People’s Needs and Preferences Area. 
  • Pedro Ferreira. Treasurer at FEES. 
  • José Francisco Serrano. Technician at Instituto de Biomecánica. Human Factors Area. 
TECHINICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The participant must have a computer with an  internet connection and a microphone. If possible, a webcam is recommended.  The connection will be made via videoconference system. Access codes will be  provided once registration has been formalized.


November 2020

TRAIN4HCWORK at the H-WORKLOAD conference | 03 December 2020

As partner in the project, FEES will be presenting project achievements at the online Conference H-WORKLOAD 2020.

The conference was initially planned to take place at the University of Granada, Spain but due to the pandemic limitations, was moved to an online format. Registration are available HERE


June 2020

TRAIN4HCWORK Multiplier event (online) | 24 June 2020, 13:00 (CET)

hosted by IAD /TU Darmstadt

Principles of User Centred design in a Product Development Process (in German)

Session1 (1 hour)
  • Description of the Product Development Process (PDP)
  • Definition of the term “context of use” according to DIN EN ISO 9241-210
  • Usage context analysis
    • User
    • Goals & Tasks
    • Physical Environment
  • Selected Methods for analysing the context of use
Session 2 (1 hour)

Analysis of the usage context on an example “bicycle”

For more information and registration please contact Jurij Wakula at iad.tu-Darmstadt


May 2020

Success of the TRAIN4HCWORK pilot course

Trainees from 21 countries took part in the Online training course on  design of human-centred workplaces

Human centred workplaces are a key essential part of the factories of the future due to important advantages. The COVID-19 pandemic obliged the corporate world to look for a new worker’s future but, in this field, research has never stopped.

The launch of the TRAIN4HCWORK aroused interest and the participation was outstanding.

The assistance was above any expectations”, states Project Coordinator José Serrano, “And we covered all the target groups“.

There were 88 students enrolled in the course, from 21 different Countries. “We have Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Portugal or Germany but also Russia, China, India, Costa Rica and the United States, among others. We didn’t know we could get so far”, follows Serrano.

77.5% of the trainees has completed successfully the course, with an almost perfect gender balance, 54% male and 46% female.

During the following months, the consortium will work on the analysis of feedback from the pilot course and the implementation of improvements. Finally, the course will be available in English, French, Spanish and German.

After the emergency, TRAIN4HCWORK is more topical than ever”, states Giuseppe Caprara, Innovation Manager at IBV.

According to Sarah Tilley from Wunderman Thompson, “The pandemic has shown business leaders and their employees that the old way of working is not fit for the future we now face. (…) As countries begin to relax restrictions and economies restart, workers will look to a brighter, more employee-focused future.

TRAIN4HCWORK sets the tone: the workplaces of the future will give much more importance to human knowledge, skills and cultural background, in particular through life-long learning and training. Human-centred workplaces not only remain essential in the pursuit of reduced occupational and work-related diseases and injuries, and absenteeism, but they will also become increasingly critical to ensure the flexibility, agility, and competitiveness that will be imposed on future manufacturing operations.

TRAIN4HCWORK is also preparing two multiplier events, that will be organised by the project partner Technische Universitat Darmstadt and by the coordinator IBV, at the end of the project, scheduled for March 2021.


March 2020

TRAIN4HCWORK launches the pilot course

The English version of the TRAIN4HCWORK online course will be piloted between March and May. We are looking for participants from the following professional groups:

  • Engineers responsible for workplaces, process and production design
  • Engineers responsible for machinery, working equipment and tools design
  • Health and safety managers
  • Consultants who provide services related to these issues to industry
  • Human resources professionals (recruitment and job assignment of workers)
  • Students

! SIGN UP FOR THE TRAIN4HCWORK PILOT COURSE FOR FREE !

To apply, all you need to do is (before 15 March):

  • Create your profile at IBV CAMPUS VIRTUAL
  • Confirm your interest in joining the TRAIN4HCWORK pilot course by emailing Raquel Portilla (campus.ibv@ibv.org) with the following details:
    • First and last name
    • Email contact
    • Occupation
    • Country of residence
    • Also please place “TRAIN4HCWORK COURSE – IBV” on the subject of your message

For more information, please refer to the course learning guide and the pilot flyer


January 2020

TRAIN4HCWORK meeting in Grenoble

On 29 January 2020, the T4W team met in Grenoble for the review and planning of up coming project work. Nicolas Vuillerme and Romain Balaguer from the partner Universite Grenoble Alpes (UGA) were the hosts.

The contents of the course are nearly concluded and a pilot exercise will be launched in March. The pilot course will be in English and it will also include audio and video slots and it will be hosted at IBV educational platform (Campus IBV).

TRAIN4HCWORK is also preparing the first multiplier event, that will be organized by the project partner Technische Universitat Darmstadt, represented in the meeting by Jurij Wakula. Pedro Ferreira from Federation of European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) and Hugo Merelo from Structo engineering complete the attending team to the Grenoble meeting.


September 2019

TRAIN4HCWORK meeting in Darmstad

On 25 September 2019, the T4W team met in Darmstad for the review and planning of up coming project work. New developments will come soon, as we progress towards the development of course contents.


May 2019

First results of the Train4HCWork project

After the first six months of work, consortium has already developed the course structure, the online learning methodology and even a proposal of contents organized in different modules and sessions. These outcomes have been obtained with the participation of people from the target groups to ensure the course will respond to their formative needs.

In order to know the training requirements of professionals around Europe, IBV, IAD and UAG firstly organized five focus groups (with a total of 34 participants) and lastly, together with FEES and Structo, realized an open-source online survey in five different languages (English, Spanish, French, Dutch and Serbian). More than one hundred answers from different countries were achieved.

Finally, FEES carried out the analysis of information obtained on the online survey (including SWOT analysis, priorization of requirements, differences among potential end-users), to obtain the final training requirements for the online course to be developed in the project. With that information, IBV, IAD and UGA established the recognition framework and defined the Curriculum of the course.


January 2019

Online TRAIN4WORK questionnaire

The project TRAIN4WORK launched an online questionnaire on 13 February 2019 to identify training requirements, define learning objectives and course structure of a new learning material.

The questionnaire aims to gather data to support the development of the online training course which targets all those who are involved in the design (or re-development) of work systems but are not ergonomics and human factors specialists.

The questionnaire can be accessed in four different languages

The questionnaire will be open until April 30 2019.

The TRAIN4WORK is an initiative of the Federation of European Ergonomics Societies under the umbrella of Erasmus+, to create a freely accessible online ergonomics training material.

Council meeting April 2021

The Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies council meeting will be held online from 10:00 to 11:30, on 7 April 2021.

The only subject for this council is the moving of FEES from Dortmund to Brussels.

Councillors need to contact the president of the organisation for technical details.

The next council meeting is scheduled for 12 June 2021, before the IEA council and triennial conference.

Council Meeting 2019

FFES Logo The 2019 council meeting of the Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) will be held The 2019 council meeting of the Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) will be held 25th
of August 2019, in Elsinore, Denmark, 
in conjonction with the IEA Council Meeting and the 50th Anniversary Conference of the Nordic Ergonomics and Human Factors Society (NES) “50th Future Work: Digitalisation and Innovation”.

DRAFT TIMETABLE of the meeting

Welcome at 8 : 30, start at 9 : 30, end at 4 : 00 pm

See attachment FEES-council-draft-agenda-V1-August2019.pdf

Practical information

  • The Council meeting will take place in the NES2019 Congress location.

Registration form

Council Meeting 2018

FFES Logo The 2018 council meeting of the Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) will be held in Florence 26th August 2018 in conjonction with the IEA Triennal Conference on the issue „Creativity in practice“.

FFES Logo The 2018 council meeting of the Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) will be held in Florence 26th August 2018 in conjonction with the IEA Triennal Conference on the issue „Creativity in practice“.

DRAFT TIMETABLE of the meeting

Welcome at 8 : 30, start at 9 : 30, end at 4 : 00 pm

See attachment FEES-council-draft-agenda-V4-26th August2018.pdf

Practical information

  • During the meeting,
    the FEES council will elect a new President and a new Secretary General, the mandate of the present officers coming to its end. Applicants are welcome and according to the FEES rules (point 10 b), “proposals can be submitted until 8 weeks before the general meeting (Council)”, that means before the end of June 2018 and sent to the Secretary General .
  • The Council meeting will take place in the IEA2018 Congress location.

Registration form

FEES COUNCIL meeting 2017

FFES Logo The 2017 council meeting of the Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) was held in Brussels 26th June 2017  in conjonction with the FEES ETUI BES Conference on the issue „workers and creativity“

FFES Logo The 2017 council meeting of the Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) was held in Brussels 26th June 2017  in conjonction with the FEES ETUI BES Conference on the issue „workers and creativity“

.

TIMETABLE of the meeting

Welcome at 8 : 30 pm ; starting at 9 :00 End at 1 : 00 pm

  • Opening, welcome and housekeeping
  • Roll call of the delegates and apologies for absence ; welcome of new members ; call for miscellaneous items
  • Approval of the draft agenda (cf present document )
  • Approval of the Council Meeting minutes in, September, 26th 2015 (cf doc.attached)
  • Annual FEES Report (document to be sent) and Report on the Standing Committees
  • Report from the member societies on their main activities
  • FEES Financial Report (cf doc.to be sent)
  • Election of the treasurer (candidates are required)
  • Change of rules proposals (document to be sent)
  • Information from the invited ergonomics societies and organizations
  • Projects for FEES
  • IEA issues : Information about Memorandum of Understanding between FEES and IEA (doc. to be sent)
  • IEA issues : 2018 IEA Congress in Firenze
  • Next Council meeting : date and place – proposals to be made
  • Miscelleanous
  • Closing

Sum up of the FEES council meeting

By Pascal ETIENNE, FEES Secretary General

The FEES council took place in Brussels with representatives of 11 members societies coming from Belgium (BES), Portugal (APERGO), Austria, the Netherlands (NL HFE), Hungary, Italy (SIE), Latvia (LES), Switzerland (Swissergo and GfA), Finland and France (SELF). Observers from CREE, the Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (IEHF) in the United Kingdom and delegates from the IEA were also present (Yushi Fujita, Chair and José Orlando Gomes, Vice President).

During the meeting, the annual and financial reports were adopted. A new treasurer, Pedro FERREIRA (active member of APERGO, Portugal) has been elected, replacing Reinier Hoftijzer (from HF NL) whose mandate came to its end. Several modifications of the FEES rules have been decided, the main change allowing FEES to welcome “associated members”. Consequently the FEES Council decided to welcome IEHF as associated member.

During the past year, FEES delegates attended several conferences and workshops organized by the member societies: the GfA in Brugg (Switzerland), the IEHF in Daventry (UK), the APERGO in Lisbon and the Polish ergonomics society in Poland. This gave the opportunity to present lectures and / or to strengthen the links between the FEES board and the member societies. FEES delegates attended as well several meetings at the EU level, organized by OSHA, the CEN or SAFERA, giving the possibility to promote ergonomics.

FEES has been strongly involved in the preparation of the conference on “workers and creativity” held jointly with the FEES council meeting, showing a cooperative process between ETUI, BES, CREE and FEES with the support of IEA. This support is a first evidence of the mutual support decided by IEA and FEES, following the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between both associations in Florence at the end of March 2017.

In the future, FEES will continue to co-operate with IEA in order to enhance ergonomics in Europe, especially in the Eastern European countries, and with the other regional branches of IEA. FEES will also to prepare the IEA triennal Congress, organized by the Italian Ergonomics society (SIE) in Florence. The next FEES council to be held at the same time will elect a new Chair and a new Secretary General, the mandate of the present officers (Sylvain Leduc, President and Pascal Etienne, Secretary General) coming to its end.

Practical information

  • An informal FEES networking meeting took place on Sunday evening, the 25th of June from 18.00 until 21.00 hours in a location close to the ETUC building (near Brussels North station).
  • The FEES Council meeting was organized in conjonction with the FEES ETUI BES Conference on the ssue „workers and creativity“ which took place on the 26th and 27th June 2017.
  • The Council meeting took place E. Blerot Street 1, 1070 Bruxelles, Room  Van Mieghem, first floor.
  • The council dinner was on Monday, the 26th.