Ms Amberlynn Bonello, a researcher from the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Malta (UM), has been awarded the Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Axiomatic Design (ICAD) 2025.

The paper, entitled Multi-Objective Optimisation Using Axiomatic Design: Towards the Design of Physically Safe Human-Robot Collaborative Workstations in the Age of Industry 5.0, was co-authored with Prof. Inġ. Emmanuel Francalanza, Prof. Paul Refalo, Dr Vickie Gauci as well as Prof. Christopher Brown from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), USA. As part of this collaboration, Ms Bonello also spent a month on secondment at WPI to further develop this research.

The award-winning work focuses on applying multi-objective optimisation techniques within the framework of Axiomatic Design to address critical challenges in creating physically safe and intelligent workstations for human-robot collaboration in manufacturing. This research is particularly relevant as industries transition towards Industry 5.0, where the integration of advanced robotics and human-centred design is becoming essential.

This recognition highlights the cutting-edge research being undertaken by the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at UM in the fields of factories of the future, safe and smart manufacturing environments, and collaborative robotics.

This work was made possible through the project SME5.0: A Strategic Roadmap Towards the Next Level of Intelligent, Sustainable and Human-Centred SMEs funded by HORIZON-MSCA-2021-SE-01-01-MSCA Staff Exchanges 021.