sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Smart Ergo-Design: Innovating Sustainability through Smart Ergonomics and Design

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Products and Services".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 8 April 2025 | Viewed by 878

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
UTBM, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 90010 Belfort, France
Interests: engineering design; CAD; product design and development; smart design; design for sustainability; design for styling; design theory; ergo-design; design cognition, manufacturing system design; computational design and engineering; IT systems; intelligent systems; knowledge-based engineering; computational intelligence; computational design; agent-based product design; fuzzy system design; materials design; innovation; holonic design; cloud-based design and manufacturing; style design; design optimization; collaborative engineering; collaborative decision making; system modelling; fuzzy engineering; risk analysis; computer-aided engineering; emotional design; design for configurations; human-centered design; change management; digital twin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
UTBM, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 90010 Belfort, France
Interests: product design and development; computer-aided design; human-centered design; ergonomics in design; design for sustainability; innovation; holonic design; computational design; styling in design; collaborative engineering

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
UTBM, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 90010 Belfort, France
Interests: product design; virtual and augmented reality; design for sustainability; design for use; collaborative engineering; computer-aided design; human-centered design; ergonomics in design; multidisciplinary and collaborative design; immersive professional training

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today, sustainability is an important concern across various domains, ranging from product, system, and service design to urban planning. As the global community confronts the challenges posed by climate change, resource reduction, and social inequality, there is a growing recognition of the need for innovative approaches that reconcile human factors with sustainability imperatives. In this context, the intersection of smart ergonomics and design offers promising opportunities for advancing sustainability goals while enhancing the technical, esteem, and usage values of products, systems, and services for safety, health, and well-being.

Smart ergo-design represents an emergent holistic approach to addressing these challenges. It embodies the integration of ergonomic principles, innovative design methodologies, and intelligent technologies to create products, systems, and services that are not only efficient and human-centered but also sustainable. By placing humans at the center of the product, system, and service lifecycle, smart ergo-design seeks to optimize the use of resources, materials, and energy and improve overall sustainability outcomes by employing human-centered design methodologies, promoting transdisciplinary collaboration, and utilizing data-driven decision-making.

While the development of a digital world offers immense potential for addressing sustainability challenges, it also poses risks and requires a careful consideration of its environmental, social, and economic impacts. Balancing the benefits and challenges of digitalization is essential to ensuring that it contributes to, rather than undermines, long-term sustainability goals.

This Special Issue explores the multifaceted implications of smart ergo-design for sustainability across various domains, including but not limited to product design, mobility, transportation, and urban planning. Utilizing insights from ergonomics, industrial design, engineering, and environmental science, the research examines the theoretical foundations, practical applications, and emerging trends in smart ergo-design.

The scientific papers cover emerging trends in principles, methods, tools, and technological solutions of sustainable ergo-design to engineer sustainable, smart, and innovative systems. Through case studies, empirical research, and theoretical analysis, we aim at elucidating the potential benefits and limitations of smart ergo-design in promoting sustainable development at local, regional, and global scales.

This Special Issue encompasses, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Integration of ergonomic principles in sustainable product design;
  • Methods and technological tools for sustainable ergonomics and design;
  • Human-centered design methodologies for sustainability;
  • Human factors in sustainable system design;
  • User experience (UX) design for sustainable products and services;
  • Ergonomic approaches for safety, health, and well-being in sustainable design;
  • Inclusive design for sustainable ergonomics and design;
  • Transdisciplinary collaboration in smart ergo-design;
  • Collaborative design for sustainable and innovative product, usage, and service systems;
  • Knowledge management for sustainable ergonomics and design;
  • Cooperative, connected, and automated mobility (CCAM) through smart ergo-design;
  • Sustainable smart systems (cities, buildings, manufacturing systems, products, software, etc.) through ergo-design;
  • Artificial intelligence for ergonomics and design;
  • Innovative technologies for smart ergo-design sustainability;
  • Immersive technologies for sustainable ergonomics and design;
  • Digitalization for sustainable ergonomic design;
  • Decision-making for smart ergo-design;
  • Smart ergo-design for energy efficiency and carbon footprint reduction;
  • Sustainable materials and resource optimization in ergonomic design;
  • Policy implications and regulatory frameworks for promoting sustainable ergo-design.

The Special Issue encompasses the following types of papers:

  1. Research papers;
  2. Reports on case studies and projects;
  3. Sustainable ergo-design proposals;
  4. Literature reviews;
  5. Discussion and position papers that present retrospections on critical and strategic issues in the transdisciplinary ergo-design domain.

Prof. Dr. Egon Ostrosi
Dr. Jean-Bernard Bluntzer
Dr. Morad Mahdjoub
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • smart ergonomics
  • sustainable design
  • sustainable ergonomics
  • green ergonomics
  • human factor
  • inclusive design
  • human-centered design
  • sustainable smart systems
  • AI for ergonomics and design
  • digital twin
  • immersive technologies
  • collaborative design
  • knowledge management
  • CCAM

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 1201 KiB  
Article
Innovative Approach to Identify the Readiness Factors to Realize Green Ergonomics in Sustainable Service Organizations
by Albi Thomas, Suresh Ma and Ateekh Ur Rehman
Sustainability 2024, 16(14), 6160; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16146160 - 18 Jul 2024
Viewed by 599
Abstract
The relationships between humans and the environment have recently been incorporated into ergonomics in an effort to broaden the discipline’s traditional scope. Green ergonomics is an emerging field of study that has discovered links between people’s well-being and a sense of connection to [...] Read more.
The relationships between humans and the environment have recently been incorporated into ergonomics in an effort to broaden the discipline’s traditional scope. Green ergonomics is an emerging field of study that has discovered links between people’s well-being and a sense of connection to nature. The study aims to build a conceptual model to identify the readiness factors for green ergonomics in healthcare organizations, which are the primary focus point of the current study. To determine the readiness factors, a review of the literature and a survey of healthcare experts’ opinions were conducted. The healthcare professionals validated the identified readiness factors. Data for this study were gathered using a closed-ended questionnaire and scheduled interviews. The study employed total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) methodology and cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis to address why and how the factors interact and prioritize the identified readiness factors. Ten green ergonomics readiness factors were identified in this study. Design principles (F4), green buildings (F1), ergoecology (F2), audit working practices/risk assessments (F3), and professional practice (F6) had strong driving power and weak dependence, thus being identified as key factors or driving factors for green ergonomics in healthcare organizations. Although the study primarily focused on the readiness factors for green ergonomics in healthcare organizations, the scope could eventually be expanded to explore more areas. Academics and other stakeholders will have a better understanding of the key drivers and the readiness factors for healthcare green ergonomics. In this study, the total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) and cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis for healthcare together are proposed as an innovative approach to address the green ergonomics concept. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop