Mission
The ETHICS40 project aims to integrate ethics into the industry of the future. It will develop a software tool to identify and manage the ethical risks, taking into account the human, industrial, societal and environmental dimensions. It aims to contribute to ethical management in industry, in particular the management and continuous improvement of the performance of the industrial systems of the future.
Methodology
This project focuses on three areas of scientific development. The first axis focuses on the identification and management of ethical risks. The second axis seeks to optimize industrial performance while remaining within an ethical framework. Finally, the third axis consists of creating rules and practices for effective risk management.
Industrial research
This project involves an industrial partner, NTN Europe, which will contribute to identifying specific needs in the industry. It will also assist in the development of the management tool (software, rules, and practices), addressing ethical risks in the management of industrial performance, and will contribute to validate the proposed applicability.
Research questions
In the current context, where the integration of modern technologies into industrial systems is evolving rapidly, it is becoming imperative to examine the ethical impact of these changes.
This raises two crucial research questions:
- The first question concerns the operationalisation of ethical risk management: "To what extent is it possible to take operational account of all these risks, while involving employees to strengthen the management of these risks (Q1)?" This question raises the importance of involving employees in the management of ethical risks, considering their crucial role in the practical application of ethical decisions.
- The second question focuses on the impact of ethical management on industrial performance: "To what extent does taking ethical risks into account in the operation of industrial systems of the future contribute to the continuous improvement of performance? (Q2)". This question seeks to assess whether the integration of ethical considerations can coincide with the objective of continuous improvement, a cornerstone of modern industry. Together, these questions aim to forge a link between ethical management and operational efficiency in the industrial environments of the future.
Scientific and technical challenges
The project's research questions concern the optimisation of industrial performance through the use of modern technologies while preventing the associated ethical risks. The challenges addressed by the project are as follows:
Lock | Description | Question | Nature of lock |
|---|---|---|---|
Lock 1 | Lack of consideration of ethics in the operation of industrial systems of the future | Q1 | Scientific |
Lock 2 | Need to revise the concept of industrial performance within an ethical framework | Q2 | Scientific |
Lock 3 | Difficulty in modelling and making operational a concept derived from philosophy | Q1 | Scientific Technical |
Lock 4 | Difficulty in assessing the relevance and impact of implementing an ethical approach in a company | Q1 et Q2 | Scientific Technical |
Final products developed and expected results
The Ethics40 project will produce the following three deliverables:
- An ETHICS4IF software prototype covering the identification and management of ethical risks and their integration into the model for steering and continuously improving the performance of industrial systems of the future.
- A set of rules and practices deduced from the application of the prototype by NTN-SNR in their management of ethical risks in the steering and continuous improvement of the performance of industrial systems of the future.
- Feedback on the use of the tool and the rules and practices.
Funding
This project is funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) as part of the PRCE project (Projet de Recherche Collaborative - Entreprise).
AAPG2022 - Generic call for projects
Project : ANR-23-CE10-0014
CES 10 - Axe H.19 : Industry and factory of the future: People, organisation, technology