Fabien Coutarel

Fabien Coutarel is a Maître de Conférences with Habilitation to Direct Research (MCU-HDR) at Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA), affiliated with the Faculty of Sports Science (UFR STAPS). He serves as Deputy Director of the ACTé laboratory and leads the Technology, Activity, Design (TAC) research program. His work focuses on ergonomics, workplace design, and human-technology interaction within industrial contexts.

His research interests span multiple domains including:

• Ergonomics and work organization
• Musculoskeletal disorders prevention
• Psychosocial risks in the workplace
• Design of enabling work situations
• Evaluation of complex ergonomic interventions
• Human-technology collaboration in Industry 4.0

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on operational leeway in work situations, human-technology collaboration in Industry 4.0, and the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders through innovative work design. His research increasingly addresses the integration of autonomous technologies in workplace settings while maintaining worker agency and safety.

His scientific contributions include:

• Development of Enabling Collaborative Situations (ECS) framework
• Conceptualization of situational operational leeway
• Design of intervention evaluation methodologies
• Work on ergonomic aspects of autonomous technologies

Coutarel actively supervises seven doctoral students and has successfully guided fourteen PhD candidates to completion. His research is supported by multiple grants including ANR Collaboration 4.0 project (2018-2022), EvalIEExp project (2021-2024), and various industry partnerships with Michelin and other organizations.

He leads the Master's in Engineering and Ergonomics of Physical Activity (IEAP) and maintains international collaborations, particularly with the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM).