Viktoria Mordaschew, research associate in the Human-Technology Interaction research group headed by Prof. Dr. mult. Carsten Röcker, has been awarded the Hans Martin Prize 2025. The prize recognizes work in the field of ergonomics that contributes to making work healthy, motivating, and fair.
The award ceremony took place during the event “Change in Work in a Changing Economy” in Kassel, which was initiated by the Hessian Ministry of Labor, Integration, Youth, and Social Affairs and the City of Kassel.
GAIN-Pro: Adaptive work design for different needs
The award went to the research concept “GAIN-Pro – Inclusive gamification and adaptive workplace design for intelligent production systems.”
At its core, GAIN-Pro addresses a central question in occupational science: How can workplaces be designed to adapt to the people who work there – and not the other way around?
The project investigates how playful elements and digital support can help make work more understandable, promote motivation, and prevent overload or exclusion. The aim is to provide targeted support to employees in digitized production systems and strengthen their participation in work.
Focus on ergonomics instead of technology
GAIN-Pro addresses key topics in occupational science:
- Different people, different needs: Not everyone learns, works, or motivates themselves in the same way.
- Individual support instead of comparison: Gamification is not understood as competition, but as an adaptive tool for orientation and motivation.
- Health and participation: Work should not be physically or mentally overwhelming and should be accessible to as many people as possible.
The focus is not on the technology itself, but on the question of how work is actually experienced in everyday life and how digital systems can contribute to improving the quality of work in the long term.
“Good work is not created by technology alone.”
Viktoria Mordaschew describes GAIN-Pro's approach as follows: “The award shows how important it is to consistently view work from the perspective of employees. With GAIN-Pro, we want to show how workplaces can be designed in such a way that they motivate, are understandable, and enable as many people as possible to participate.”
Impetus for an inclusive working world of the future
The jury particularly praised GAIN-Pro's clear focus on occupational science and its contribution to creating an inclusive, future-oriented working environment. The award underscores the importance of adaptively designed production environments that combine technological innovation with human-centered work.
Funding information
The GAIN-Pro project has already been launched and is being carried out as part of PROFuture@TH-OWL in collaboration with delta3GmbH. It is part of the “FH Personal” funding line and is supported by funds from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) and the Joint Science Conference (GWK).