Belgian researcher Louis Morias received the European Master’s Thesis Award during the EuroMaintenance 2026 conference in Luleå, Sweden, in recognition of his research on the use of generative AI to address knowledge loss in industrial maintenance.
Morias, who graduated from the joint KU Leuven and Ghent University Master’s programme in Smart Operations and Maintenance in Industry, explored how generative AI can help maintenance organisations preserve and access critical technical knowledge. His research demonstrated how AI could support technicians by quickly retrieving and summarising information from maintenance reports, manuals and other technical documentation, while emphasising that AI should complement—not replace—human expertise.
The award, presented by the Salvetti Foundation and the European Federation of National Maintenance Societies (EFNMS), recognised the growing importance of digital technologies in maintenance and asset management. Morias was nominated by BEMAS, the Belgian Maintenance Association, before being selected as the European winner.
Photo caption: From left: Bernardo Tormos Martínez (President of the jury), Louis Morias (European Master’s Thesis Award winner), Diego Galar (Chairman of EFNMS) and Scholte Strikwerda (Chairman of the Salvetti Foundation) during the EuroMaintenance 2026 awards ceremony in Luleå, Sweden.
