Dr. phil. Marija Bertovic
Source: BAM
Marija Bertovic has been conducting research at BAM for many years at the intersection of humans and modern testing technologies. Her work demonstrates how essential human factors remain even in highly automated processes, and why they play a decisive role in ensuring the safety and reliability of non-destructive testing methods. In 2025, she was honored for her scientific achievements with the prestigious Roy Sharpe Prize from the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT), an international award that highlights the significance of her research.
In this interview, she talks about her path to BAM, key insights from her work, and the advice she would like to offer the next generation of scientists.
How did you come to BAM, and what continues to fascinate you about your work in non-destructive testing?
I first came to BAM in 2006 as a guest scientist for two months through a scholarship. As a psychologist, I worked in a group focusing on the reliability of non-destructive testing (NDT). At the time, the group developed a reliability model that has since become well established in the NDT community. One of its key messages is that reliability does not depend only on the technical capability of an inspection method, but also on application, and human factors. This interaction between people and technology has fascinated me ever since.
What continues to motivate me is the tangible impact of my work. My research contributes not only to the safety of components and infrastructure, but also to the safety of the people who work with these systems – and to their satisfaction with their work.
You study the “human factor” in NDT. Which questions are central to your work, and why?
The term “human factor” is often used to refer primarily to individual behavior and the prevention of human error. However, this view is rather narrow. Whereas individual differences play a role, it does not capture the full picture, and this is central to my work. Human factors as a scientific discipline consider all influences that affect people at work in ways that can impact health and safety. These include individual characteristics, but also the interaction between people, technology, the physical work environment, organizational conditions, and the inter-organizational context.
The central question is therefore: how do these factors influence people in their work and what can we do to prevent negative effects? At the same time, the focus is not only on risks, but also on the positive aspects of human factors, such as the ability to respond flexibly and to cope with complex situations.
You were awarded the Roy Sharpe Prize in 2025. What does this award mean to you and your research?
Human factors are a well-established research field overall, but in NDT they have been studied only to a very limited extent. Over the past 20 years, only a small number of institutes worldwide have worked systematically on this topic. While the NDT community is well aware that human factors influence inspections, there is often still uncertainty about what this means in practice and how these influences should be addressed.
This is precisely why the Roy Sharpe Prize means so much to me. Together with the Science Award of the German Society for Non-Destructive Testing (DGZfP), which I received in 2018, it shows me that the international NDT community recognizes and values this research. It also underscores that this work is meaningful and needed and that gives me real momentum.
What key insights have you gained through your award-winning research, and why are they so relevant for NDT?
A key insight from my research is that human errors are not random and cannot be reduced to individual causes. They arise from the interaction between humans, technology, and organizational factors.
In my PhD, I was able to show that automation is not a panacea for human error. While certain known errors can be reduced, new risks emerge at the same time, for example through changing roles, overreliance on automation, or the loss of skills.
A similar pattern emerges in my current work on assistive technologies, including AI‑based systems: acceptance and safe use do not automatically result from good algorithms or high performance, but only when people are systematically taken into account from the very beginning. These insights are not only relevant for NDT, but apply broadly to all socio‑technical systems.
What advice would you give to young scientists entering the field of non-destructive testing?
NDT is a highly interdisciplinary field, and that is exactly what makes it so exciting. My most important advice is to remain curious and to keep thinking beyond the boundaries of your own discipline. Many relevant research questions only emerge where technology meets real-world application and everyday work processes.
For psychologists who want to conduct human factors research – whether in NDT or beyond – it is important not to shy away from applied research. It is not always “clean” or perfect, but it often yields the most meaningful results.