The world of work is undergoing profound and accelerating transformations. The real challenge lies not only in the magnitude of these changes, but in the speed with which they are occurring.

We are in an era of questioning the purpose of work and the appropriateness of sacrificing much of our lives to activities that sometimes lack significant personal value. Questions are also being asked about our ethical responsibilities in the workplace and how we contribute to collective well-being.

From an Occupational Safety and Health perspective, this reflection takes on an even greater dimension. It is essential to address the concept of holistic health, which goes beyond the absence of physical illness and incorporates the mental and social well-being of individuals. This is fundamental, especially when we consider that the right and obligation to generate goods and services are pillars in the construction of a sustainable society.

With the advancement of artificial intelligence, robotics, cobots and the exploitation of big data, we envision a future where physical accidents at work will be significantly reduced. However, this technological transformation may also intensify work-related mental health challenges, a phenomenon that is rapidly gaining ground.

This situation is compounded by significant demographic changes: declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy. This context calls for a rethink in the way we structure productive activities, seeking to build a fairer and more balanced society.

At the Foundation, we have always advocated the conscious application of human intelligence to design optimal working environments. We believe that new technologies – from artificial intelligence to supercomputing and data engineering – should be tools to create more ergonomic workspaces adapted to individual capacities and needs. In this way, the principle of ‘everyone necessary, everyone essential’ becomes a tangible reality, allowing for a more efficient use of business resources and a fair distribution of work responsibilities.

Thus, we at the Foundation hope that this scientific-technical meeting, which will bring together professionals from all over the world in Cartagena de Indias, will make a significant contribution to the creation of good working conditions that promote not only physical health, but also the mental and social well-being of each person and help to improve the planet.

Pedro R. Mondelo

Director ORP