Transdisciplinary Engineering for Human-Centred and Intelligent Futures
Advancing the convergence of Human Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence and Engineering for Societal Impact in the Era of Digital Transformation
5–9 July 2027
Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Beyond Disciplines. Engineering Futures Together!
Welcome to TE2027
The 34th International Conference on Transdisciplinary Engineering (TE2027) will bring together researchers, industry professionals, practitioners, policymakers and students from around the world to explore how transdisciplinary engineering can contribute to more human-centred, intelligent and sustainable futures.
Taking place in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, from 5 to 9 July 2027, the conference will provide an international forum for sharing knowledge, presenting research, exchanging ideas and strengthening collaboration across disciplines, sectors and geographical boundaries.
Under the theme “Transdisciplinary Engineering for Human-Centred and Intelligent Futures”, TE2027 will examine the convergence of Human Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence and Engineering and its potential to generate meaningful societal impact in the era of digital transformation.
We look forward to welcoming you to Madeira for five inspiring days of knowledge exchange, collaboration and new ideas.
Scope & Topics
Transdiciplinary Engineering for Human-Centred and Intelligent Futures
Today’s complex societal, technological and environmental challenges cannot be addressed by individual disciplines working in isolation. They require integrated knowledge, collaborative approaches and the active participation of academia, industry, public institutions and society.
TE2027 will provide a platform for exploring new theories, methods, technologies and applications in Transdisciplinary Engineering. The conference will encourage dialogue across disciplinary and organisational boundaries, connecting human expertise and creativity with the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence and advanced engineering.
Contributions addressing theoretical developments, research results, practical applications, industrial experiences and emerging challenges are welcome.
Explore the Conference Areas
TE2027 welcomes theoretical contributions, methodological developments, applications and case studies that advance transdisciplinary engineering. Under the theme “Transdisciplinary Engineering for Human-Centred and Intelligent Futures”, the conference particularly encourages contributions connecting human intelligence, artificial intelligence and engineering to address complex industrial and societal challenges.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
New Product/Service Design and Intelligent Technology
- Engineering, product, service and systems design
- Human factors, human agency, human-centred design and customer experience
- Personalised products and services; product and production platforms
- Collaborative and transdisciplinary design
- Participatory and community-led design, co-creation and democratisation of design
- Concurrent engineering, product-service systems, and lean and agile design
- Generative and agentic AI for engineering design and innovation
Team Working
- Methods for transdisciplinary teamwork and collaborative problem-solving
- Stakeholder engagement and collaboration across disciplinary boundaries
- Managing cultural and disciplinary differences and diversity
- Managing interdisciplinary teams and evaluating transdisciplinary team performance
- Collaborative design environments and knowledge Exchange
- Human-AI collaboration, hybrid intelligence and human-robot collaboration
Smart Operations for Value Chain Management
- Smart factories, smart manufacturing and industrial transformation
- Digital manufacturing, additive manufacturing and collaborative manufacturing
- Supply chain management, sustainable supply chains and collaborative value networks
- Resource and energy efficiency in production and operations
- Product-service systems and ecosystems
- Digital twins, Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems in operations
- Logistics and resilient value chains
Digital Engineering
- Systems engineering, digital engineering and model-based engineering
- Collaborative modelling, simulation and multi-physics models
- Digital twins, cyber-physical systems, and autonomous and intelligent systems
- Model verification, validation and curation
- Data and knowledge engineering for integrated decision support
- Interoperability and collaborative digital ecosystems
- Rapid prototyping and continuous delivery
- XR and immersive technologies in engineering
Transdisciplinary Approaches to Engineering and Management
- Decision support tools and methods
- Artificial intelligence, generative AI and agentic AI in engineering and decision-making
- Trustworthy, explainable and responsible AI
- Value engineering; cost modelling, analysis and engineering
- Risk management and decision-making under uncertainty
- Knowledge management and knowledge engineering
- Innovation management and digital transformation
- Business management, business processes, business models and cross-sector Innovation
- Technology transfer and collaboration between academia, industry, government and society
Pedagogy in Transdisciplinary Engineering
- Learning strategies and instructional design for engineering
- Problem-based and project-based learning
- Digital and open learning for engineering
- Engineering education and transdisciplinary competency development and assessment
- Professional education, certification and lifelong learning
- Future of work and skills development
- University-business and cross-domain cooperation
Global Issues in Transdisciplinary Engineering
- Sustainable design and manufacturing
- Circular economy and lifecycle sustainability assessment
- Resilient systems, climate resilience, climate adaptation and disaster management
- Responsible innovation and transdisciplinary approaches to sustainability
- Ethics, inclusion, inclusive engineering, gender and diversity
- Social innovation, public engagement and societal impact
- Equality, urban-rural gaps and Global North-South perspectives
- Engineering policy and practice in the public sector
- Engineering in global crises
Theoretical Contributions
- Theoretical foundations and frameworks of transdisciplinary engineering
- Engineering thinking and practice
- Systems thinking and complex socio-technical systems
- Transdisciplinary research methods and knowledge integration
- Evaluation of transdisciplinary processes, outcomes and impact
Cross-cutting Applications and Case Studies
Contributions across these topics may address application domains including:
- Smart manufacturing and industrial transformation
- Smart cities, mobility and logistics
- Healthcare, wellbeing and assistive technologies
- Energy systems and sustainable infrastructure
- Aerospace and maritime systems
- XR and immersive technologies
- Living labs, industrial demonstrators and transdisciplinary case studies
- Technology transfer and collaboration between academia, industry, government and society
Each area brings together multiple disciplines and perspectives, reflecting the collaborative and integrative nature of Transdisciplinary Engineering.
TE2027 Committees
About TE
The International Society of Transdisciplinary Engineering (ISTE) is an international community dedicated to advancing transdisciplinary engineering and strengthening academic collaboration. As the successor to the International Society for Productivity Enhancement (ISPE), ISTE supports the exchange of knowledge and ideas through conferences, publications and opportunities for dialogue across disciplines.
Learn more about ISTE