Factor advocates for people-centred artificial intelligence at CIO 2026

Alfredo Giménez, Innovation Director, took part in the discussion on AI, sustainability and business ethics

On 2 and 3 July, our Innovation Director, Alfredo Giménez, represented Factor at CIO 2026 – XXX Congreso de Ingeniería de Organización, held in Alcoy. The event brought together professionals, companies, researchers and institutions to share advances, perspectives and experiences in industrial engineering, operations management and organisational engineering.

During the conference, Alfredo Giménez took part in the industry round table "Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability and Ethics: Business Challenges", which explored how companies are incorporating artificial intelligence while moving towards more sustainable, responsible and people-centred models.

A shared perspective from industry

Alfredo Giménez participated in the Industry and Manufacturing session alongside Gloria Airarte, Industrial Director at Calconut; Isabel Calatayud, CEO of Destilerías Sinc; Mauro Cardona, CIO of Grupo Ubesol-Laboratorios Maverick; and Pablo Seguí, Global CIO of Grupo Erum.

During the round table, the business representatives shared different perspectives on the application of artificial intelligence within organisations, its integration into decision-making processes and the ethical and sustainability criteria that should accompany technological transformation.

The round table also included an first session focused on Societal Services, featuring Vicente Cambra, Deputy Director of R&D at AITEX; Pedro J. Ramiro Zafra, Smart City Technical Officer at Alcoy City Council; Juan Francisco Maestre Picón, Director of Services at Global Omnium; Francisco J. Ferriols Martínez, Supply Chain Manager at Adient Seating Spain and representative of UniMaaS; and Leocadio Ortega, Director of Technology and Projects at Unión Alcoyana Seguros.

This structure made it possible to address the challenges of artificial intelligence from two complementary perspectives: its application in services and its integration into industrial and manufacturing processes.

Industry 5.0: technology to enhance human capabilities

One of the main themes of the conference was the application of artificial intelligence in Industry 5.0 environments, where the focus is no longer solely on automation or efficiency, but also on collaboration between technology and people.

In this context, the Human in the Middle approach places human knowledge, judgement and decision-making at the centre of technological transformation.

“Industry 5.0 is not about replacing people with artificial intelligence, but about enhancing their capabilities through intelligent tools that enable better decision-making, faster innovation and the development of more resilient and sustainable industries”, says Alfredo Giménez.

At Factor, we contributed to the discussion by sharing our experience in innovation, digitalisation and continuous improvement, together with the perspective of a company specialising in precision machining and focused on translating new technologies into practical applications within industrial processes.

Knowledge, research and young talent

In his assessment of the conference, Alfredo Giménez particularly highlighted Dmitry Ivanov’s presentation, which offered insights into the challenges and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence in supply chains and advanced industrial systems.

He also highlighted Laura Moya’s Master’s thesis presentation as an example of how young talent and academic research can contribute to the development of innovative solutions for the industry of the future.

For our Innovation Director, events such as CIO 2026 help connect research, young talent and industry expertise. This collaboration is essential for transforming technological knowledge into solutions with practical applications and a tangible impact on industry.

At Factor, we value the quality of the programme and, in particular, the work of Josefa Mula and Raúl Poler in creating a forum for dialogue and knowledge exchange between academia, the research community and industry.

As a sponsor and active participant in CIO 2026, we reaffirm our commitment to industrial innovation, knowledge transfer and the responsible adoption of technologies that contribute to improving the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of industry.