Industree Hub and LumApps at HR Innovation Forum: Introducing Digital Cohesion, the Observatory on the Future of Employee Experience

Artificial intelligence has entered the Digital Workplace, yet employee engagement has not increased: in Italy, only 11% of employees report feeling engaged at work, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2026 report. How can the Digital Workplace be transformed into an ecosystem that connects people, information and processes while enhancing the employee experience? This was the key question addressed by Industree Hub, a consulting company specializing in strategy, communication and digital transformation, and LumApps, a global Employee Experience platform trusted by over 750 companies worldwide, at HR Innovation Forum 2026, held recently at Fondazione Golinelli in Bologna.

At the event, the two companies unveiled “Digital Cohesion – Observatory on the Future of Employee Experience”, a nationwide research initiative developed with the contribution of ForwardTo, a company specializing in Strategic Foresight, and in collaboration with HR Innovation Forum. Its tagline, “Inhabiting organizations’ digital spaces through people, culture and AI,” captures a fundamental shift in perspective: a platform is not simply software to be adopted, but a space to be experienced.

The Observatory stems from the recognition that, in a context where hybrid work and digital tools are now firmly established, the challenge is no longer just about adopting technology, but about turning it into a driver of cohesion, collaboration and employee engagement.

Targeting HR Directors, C-level executives and corporate decision-makers, Digital Cohesion will explore three key dimensions: Employee Experience and organizational culture, with a particular focus on well-being and relationships in hybrid work environments; digital transformation and the integration of artificial intelligence into work processes; and the role of internal communication in strengthening participation and a sense of belonging.

The project’s distinguishing feature is its forward-looking approach: rather than simply providing a snapshot of the current state of the Digital Workplace, the research will seek to identify emerging signals of change and trends that will shape the future of work. The findings will be compiled into a strategic report featuring data, benchmarks and future scenarios, helping companies assess their level of digital and organizational maturity and guide their future decisions.

The Observatory was officially presented at HR Innovation Forum during the session “AI Enters the Employee Hub and Reshapes People Strategy: Engagement, Collaboration and Productivity Through the Vision of Industree Hub and LumApps”, featuring Letizia de Felice, Senior Client Manager at Industree Hub, and Norman Devaux, Leading Southern Europe & LATAM at LumApps.

The session focused on how artificial intelligence is transforming the Employee Hub: from a simple information repository into an intelligent, personalized digital ecosystem capable of simplifying daily work, facilitating knowledge sharing and enhancing the employee experience.

“Intranets, platforms and AI are now part of the corporate landscape: today’s challenge is to turn them into cohesion,” said Letizia de Felice of Industree Hub. “With Digital Cohesion, we aim to provide HR, internal communication and IT leaders with a measure of how prepared Italian organizations are for the future, starting with a simple question: what do people need?”

“AI has already entered every company, but it has yet to reach every employee,” added Norman Devaux of LumApps. “The challenge is to bring it into the daily work of every employee, including deskless workers, starting with reliable content integrated into business processes. Digital Cohesion will help us understand where Italian organizations stand and where action is needed.”

Through this initiative, Industree Hub further strengthens its positioning as a partner in the integrated design of hybrid work environments, combining strategic, technological, internal communication and change management expertise to support organizations in developing increasingly connected, collaborative and effective ways of working.