While human-in-the-loop is a widely referenced concept in EU projects aiming to bridge the gap between digitalisation and human roles, it is still rarely implemented in a robust and systematic way.
To address this challenge and move beyond the rhetorical use of the term, CRETE VALLEY participated in the workshop “Human-in-the-loop digitalisation for Europe’s energy transition” on October 9, organised by Fondazione ICONS – leader of the project’s dissemination and communication activities – under the umbrella of the Smart Energy Cluster during Sustainable Places 2025.
The workshop’s main messages are captured in the document “Human-in-the-loop in the Frame of the Energy Transition – Key Takeaways”, which can be summarised in one essential guiding principle: Digitalisation can only be truly transformative when it keeps humans at its core.
Represented by our partner FEDARENE, CRETE VALLEY joined three other EU-funded projects – DEDALUS, EnerTEF, and ENPOWER – to explore how to translate the concept of human-in-the-loop into concrete, people-centred methodologies that support Europe’s green and digital transitions.
Through an open and multidisciplinary exchange, participants discussed the barriers and enablers that shape the scalability of human-centred digitalisation, highlighting the crucial role of the Social Sciences and Humanities, co-creation processes, and trust-building as prerequisites for social acceptance and long-term behavioural change.
To full recording of the workshop is available here.
