Workforce and Technology Issues in Adoption of Cobots in Manufacturing
Start: November 2022
Expected end date: May 2026
Collaborative robots also known as Cobots are rapidly evolving as part of the new strategy of Industry 5.0 which advocates cooperative working between human and non-human agents to deliver a more human-centric, resilient, and sustainable future. However, despite this potential, the adoption of Cobots is still a challenge for companies possibly due to managerial uncertainty about Cobots and workers’ lack of readiness to adopt. Also, there are concerns about a lack of trust in human workers to work with Cobots and a lack of understanding amongst managers of significant opportunities and challenges that will arise in the evolution of Industry 5.0. Through multiple interrelated studies this project will investigate the manufacturing processes, business models, and organizational and work practices required for adoption of Cobots in manufacturing.
Outcomes
- Understanding of the industry perceptions of the challenges and opportunities the adoption of Cobots will bring to the manufacturing companies.
- Exploration of key factors in the adoption of Cobots in Manufacturing.
- Development of profiles of companies based on their spectrum of readiness to adopt Cobots.
- Policy guidelines for managers and companies on Cobots adoption and future of workforce.
Publications
- Hearn, G., Channa, N. A., & Casali, G. L. (2025). When Socio-Technical Imaginaries Meet the Reality of Adoption: Cobots in Manufacturing. Futures, 171(103596), 103596. doi:10.1016/j.futures.2025.103596
- Perano, M., Aisha, R., Channa, N. A., & Casali, G. L. (2024). The nexus between green HRM and environmental performance for sustainable business excellence: the role of employees’ environmental passion and pro-environmental behavior. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 1–25. doi:10.1080/14783363.2024.2430258
- Hearn, G., Channa, N. A., & Casali, G. L.’Cobots’ and manufacturing: A bibliometric study, Proceedings of the Australasian Conference on Robotics and Automation (ACRA 2022)
Awards & Prizes
- Best Doctoral Research Poster Award – 2024 ANZAM – For making an academic contribution
- Best Doctoral Research Poster Award – 2024 ANZAM – For making a contribution to business practice
- Member of Editorial Board – Journal of Knowledge, Risk and Sustainable Management
Supervisory Team
- Principal Supervisor: Professor Greg Hearn
- Associate Supervisor: Associate Professor Luca Casali