Aviation Sector Group Meet-up

Weak Signals - the EUROCONTROL pro-active safety management approach

Modern and complex socio-technical systems are sustained by continuous adaptations that often remain invisible in the absence of incidents or accidents. To truly understand these adaptations, high-risk industries must move beyond linear decompositions of work and traditional root cause analysis.

In this meet-up, EUROCONTROL’s SECA (Structured Exploration of Complex Adaptations) was introduced - a practical method designed to dynamically and continuously capture and codify operational knowledge. SECA aimed to uncover weak signals and reveal the underlying factors that sustain everyday operations but might otherwise go unnoticed.

Grounded in systems theory and knowledge management, the session explored how weak signal detection can support a shift toward proactive safety management. Rather than relying solely on reactive investigations focused on human error, failures and breakdowns, SECA was presented as enabling foresight by helping organisations anticipate emerging trends and future threats in today’s complex systems.

Our speakers

Adriana-Dana Schmitz, a Human Performance Expert at EUROCONTROL, has a background in Clinical Neuropsychology, made a shift to the aviation sector in 2014 upon joining EUROCONTROL. Most of her work here was spent in research, where she eventually assumed leadership of Human Performance activities for SESAR. Since 2023, she's worked in EUROCONTROL’s Safety team (Network Management Directorate), assisting ANSPs in implementing Human Factors locally and contributing to projects aimed at advancing Human Factors and Safety methodologies, as well as teaching at the Aviation Learning Centre of EUROCONTROL, in Luxembourg.

Riccardo Patriarca is an Associate Professor in Industrial systems management at Sapienza University of Rome (Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering). Holding a PhD in Risk Management and degrees in aeronautical engineering, he combines academic depth with practical application. His research, reflected in around 150 publications, focuses on innovative approaches to risk, safety, resilience and operations management. He also leads multiple industry collaborations and research projects, ensuring real-world impact alongside scholarly excellence.