A new paper led by researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF) outlines major areas where industrial engineering can address global challenges. The publication, titled “Grand Challenges in Industrial and Systems Engineering,” appears in the International Journal of Production Research.
The initiative was introduced by Pegasus Professor Waldemar Karwowski, chair of UCF’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, and University Distinguished Professor Gavriel Salvendy. The effort involved 18 authors from five countries—United States, China, France, India, and South Korea—who contributed expertise in manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare.
The team identified eight key areas for the profession to make a societal impact: AI for business and personal use; cybersecurity and resilience; sustainability involving environment, energy, and infrastructure; health issues; sociotechnical issues; logistics and supply chain management; system integration among humans, automation, and AI; and industrial and systems engineering education.
Karwowski said that industrial engineering is well positioned to address critical economic, environmental, sustainability, health, and well-being concerns worldwide. “Scientific and engineering expertise requires a deep understanding of social and human factors to design systems that improve efficiency and productivity, enhance resilience and safety, and promote sustainability in the future age of pervasive artificial intelligence (AI),” Karwowski says.
He emphasized the need for the discipline to evolve with technological advancements: “Our discipline faces unprecedented challenges in an era of exponential technological growth and increasing system complexity,” he says. “The profession can play a crucial role in addressing complex economic, health, environmental and sustainability challenges facing contemporary society.”
Karwowski also highlighted changes required in education: “Our discipline has been changing following developments in technology and the widespread use of AI,” Karwowski says. “In all these challenges, the use of AI is mentioned in one way or another. The world is rapidly changing and technology is changing the field of industrial engineering.”
The paper has gained significant attention within months of publication with over 7,500 views in five months. It has already been cited three times—a faster pace than usual for academic papers.
Efforts are underway to share these findings more broadly within academia as well as industry circles. Karwowski presented the work at this year’s North American Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management hosted by UCF. He was also invited to present it to the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers’ industry advisory board who requested a customized version tailored for industry needs.
“I think this paper will definitely help our profession to understand what research we should be doing in the future and how should we adopt our educational programs to be able to do the research that is needed to be able to implement its results for the benefit of people everywhere, for the benefit of humankind,” he says.
