Introduction

Applying Human Factors to an industrial domain can be seen as an extended process of negotiation. First there is the question of what Human Factors has to offer. This defines Human Factors from an academic or general perspective. It offers to a domain, such as Air Traffic Management (ATM), what it believes it can do best. Then there is the second question of what the client, in this case ATM, actually thinks it needs. These are the ‘drivers’ for change in ATM, whether issues of safety, demands for capacity, a temporary or anticipated shortage of controllers, etc. Once applications start occurring, a third question is reached, namely what can Human Factors actually deliver, leading to the inevitable fourth question, concerning what it can not (yet) resolve.