Details

The Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering of the Politecnico di Milano opens a call for Visiting related to the HumanTech Project, a project selected and financed by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) for the period 2023-2027 as part of the ministerial initiative “Departments of Excellence” (Law No 232/2016). The initiative rewards departments that stand out for the quality of the research produced and funds specific development projects.

The Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering is among the 180 Italian departments funded and it is developing the HumanTech – Humans and Technology project which aims to redefining the relationship between technology and people for a sustainable digital transition of industrial systems.

The call for applications is intended to attract Visiting Professors/Fellows to develop research within the framework of the HumanTech Project. Below you will find the following detailed information:

• HumanTech – Humans and Technology Project description
• Duration and application deadlines
• Eligibility criteria
• Financial arrangements
• Selection process

The project investigates the complex relationship between people – both individually and socially – and digital technologies, with the aim of proposing new models and processes for the development and adoption of technologies capable of accelerating the transition towards sustainable, inclusive industrial systems that are tailored to individual and collective well-being.

The project is guided by the pressing need to evolve the current model of technological development driven by the maximisation of economic results, towards a more harmonious model that reconciles the human, social and environmental implications of industrial production with the economic and financial implications. This need, also reflected in European Commission guidelines (e.g., Industry 5.0), is increasingly the subject of scientific literature and public debate.

HumanTech is divided into three Research Lines:

1. Human-centred digital technology development models and processes
2. Resilient and sustainable production, logistics and supply chain processes, enabled by digital technologies
3. Digital-enabled, human-centred organisational models and work systems

The three lines cover, in a complementary and synergetic manner, the different levels at which the person-technology relationship influences industrial systems, i.e., the development of technology and its adoption in transformation processes, organisational systems and work systems.

The project is consistent with the departmental lines of research and excellence and builds on internationally recognised leading research topics and methods. The project leverages existing resources and envisages further investments in two directions:

• Recruitmentof human resources to enhance and complement excellence in disciplinary areas relevant to the project
• Establishment of three new Laboratories to enable lines of empirical research that integrate the understanding of technological development processes and the evaluation of impacts on individuals and society:
  • Laboratory of Cognitive Ergonomics in Cyber Physical Systems (Garetti CORE LAB)
  • Laboratory of Behavioural Research in Immersive Environment (BRIEL LAB)
  • HumanTech DataHub

With this project, the Department aims to assume a position of excellence on the national and international research scene in the area of sustainable, inclusive and people-friendly industrial development.

Visiting Professors/Fellows will be hosted at the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering during the academic year 2025-26. Visits must be of 4 months.

Available visiting period and deadlines:

• Fall/Winter 2025 or Spring/Summer 2026 or Fall/Winter 2026
• Applications must be submitted by June 15th 2025;

Applications must be submitted via e-mail to faculty-managementsom@polimi.it and must include:

• Curriculum Vitae including a list of publications, research area and teaching experience
• A motivational letter, which outlines:
  • the desired visiting period
  • the expected benefit of the collaboration
  • a short description of the research activity to be carried out during the visiting period
  • the added value of the joint activity for the HumanTech project, detailing which of the 3 research lines the applicant will work on.

During their stay, Visiting Professors/Fellows have the opportunity to engage in the following activities:

• Research activities for the HumanTech Project together with research groups of the Department
• Deliver a seminar to Faculty
• Teaching/seminars at the Department

The Department will provide a work space, a badge with free access to libraries (for long-term visiting positions), Wi-Fi and other university services.

The call is open to scholars who, within the deadline for application, hold the position of Full Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor. Full Professors and Associate Professors will be hosted as “Visiting Professors”; Assistant Professors will be hosted as “Visiting Fellows”.

Applicants must also present a CV/body of research consistent with the scope of the HumanTech Project.

Visiting Scholars are supported financially and the amount received depends on the length of the visiting period. For a visiting period of 4 months, the financial arrangements are as follows:

• Gross salary: EUR 2.800,00 per month
• Research budget (conference participations; bibliographic resources; relocation expenses, etc) : EUR 3.000,00 per month

For more details related to the procedures for entry and services, please see link at Polimi - Visiting Professors

Applications are evaluated by the Faculty Management Team of the Department, taking into consideration the following criteria:

• Applicant CV:
  • consistency of the CV with the HumanTech Project
  • evidence of expertise in the project Research Lines
• Length of the visiting period, with preference given to longer stays
• Willingness to engage in teaching/seminars during the visiting period