His main focus is on the impacts of the newest technologies on organisational and work practices. He coordinates at TNO the Smart Working-research programme, developing insights on the impacts of robotics and digitization on organisational practices and social security systems. 

You can hear in the press a lot about the platform economy, cobotisation of industry and other new developments in the Dutch economy: most of this research is connected to the work of Steven and his team. Smart Working means new practices in organisations and in society, building on smart systems, smart employees and smart social security systems. 

He sees it as his challenge to find this connection. He also believes that social innovation is the only way forward to achieve this smart connection. Next to his research work, he also coordinated over the past four years the European learning network on Workplace Innovation (EUWIN) for the European Commission (DG GROW) and is coordinating the multi-annual Belgian SBO Paradigms4.0, the H2020 Beyond4.0 and H2020 GI-NI projects. 

He is connected as an advisor to the evaluation of the Swedish labour market support systems.