This thesis investigates the strategic positioning of AI-powered voice biomarker platforms in the corporate wellbeing market. Despite explosive growth in workplace wellness investments (global market projected to reach €63.90 billion by 2030), participation rates remain below 20%, failing to engage employees most in need. Voice biomarker technology, clinically validated for detecting stress and burnout through speech analysis, remains virtually absent from commercial platforms despite representing a €2.1 billion market opportunity by 2035. This research analyzes Hear & Act, an AI-powered voice biomarker platform developed by Medispa and Healthy Virtuoso with Politecnico di Milano, through: (1) in-depth case study; (2) competitive mapping of 34 platforms across Italy, Europe, and global markets; (3) barrier and best practice synthesis. Key findings reveal five market gaps: voice biomarker integration, passive monitoring capabilities, proactive AI intervention, SME-focused solutions, and continuous tracking. Hear & Act occupies competitive white space, combining voice-first passive monitoring with proactive early detection where no competitors currently operate. Three adoption barriers emerge: (1) regulatory complexity under GDPR and EU AI Act; (2) employee surveillance concerns; (3) SME organizational readiness gaps in infrastructure and analytics capability. Contributions include: (a) competitive landscape mapping for evidence-based positioning; (b) barrier interaction characterization; (c) deployment best practices (workflow integration, staged expansion, contextual monitoring); (d) dual value proposition framework addressing employee wellbeing and organizational risk management. Voice biomarker platforms face a 24-36 month defensibility window contingent on clinical validation and customer acquisition. Success depends on asset complementarity: proprietary datasets, compliance infrastructure, academic credibility, and SME beachhead strategies.
Questa tesi analizza il posizionamento strategico delle piattaforme di voice biomarker basate su AI nel mercato del benessere aziendale. Nonostante la forte crescita degli investimenti in tecnologie per il benessere (mercato globale stimato a €63,90 miliardi entro il 2030), i tassi di partecipazione rimangono sotto il 20%, non raggiungendo i dipendenti che più necessitano di supporto. La tecnologia dei voice biomarker, clinicamente validata per rilevare stress e burnout tramite analisi vocale, è pressoché assente dalle piattaforme commerciali nonostante rappresenti un'opportunità di mercato da €2,1 miliardi entro il 2035. La ricerca analizza Hear & Act, piattaforma AI di voice biomarker sviluppata da Medispa e Healthy Virtuoso con il Politecnico di Milano, attraverso: (1) caso di studio approfondito; (2) mappatura competitiva di 34 piattaforme in Italia, Europa e mercati globali; (3) sintesi di barriere e best practice. I risultati evidenziano cinque gap di mercato: integrazione voice biomarker, monitoraggio passivo, intervento proattivo AI, soluzioni per PMI, e tracking continuo. Hear & Act occupa uno spazio competitivo vuoto, combinando monitoraggio passivo voice-first con rilevamento proattivo precoce dove nessun competitor opera attualmente. Emergono tre barriere all'adozione: (1) complessità normativa GDPR e AI Act UE; (2) preoccupazioni di sorveglianza dei dipendenti; (3) gap di readiness organizzativa nelle PMI su infrastruttura e capacità analitica. I contributi includono: (a) mappatura competitiva per posizionamento evidence-based; (b) caratterizzazione delle interazioni tra barriere; (c) best practice di deployment (integrazione workflow, espansione graduale, monitoraggio contestuale); (d) framework di value proposition duale per benessere dipendenti e gestione rischio organizzativo. Le piattaforme voice biomarker hanno una finestra di difendibilità di 24-36 mesi condizionata da validazione clinica e acquisizione clienti. Il successo dipende dalla complementarietà degli asset: dataset proprietari, infrastruttura compliance, credibilità accademica e strategie beachhead PMI.
Hear and act: AI-powered voice biomarkers for corporate wellbeing : an empirical case study
Argentin, Yara
2024/2025
Abstract
This thesis investigates the strategic positioning of AI-powered voice biomarker platforms in the corporate wellbeing market. Despite explosive growth in workplace wellness investments (global market projected to reach €63.90 billion by 2030), participation rates remain below 20%, failing to engage employees most in need. Voice biomarker technology, clinically validated for detecting stress and burnout through speech analysis, remains virtually absent from commercial platforms despite representing a €2.1 billion market opportunity by 2035. This research analyzes Hear & Act, an AI-powered voice biomarker platform developed by Medispa and Healthy Virtuoso with Politecnico di Milano, through: (1) in-depth case study; (2) competitive mapping of 34 platforms across Italy, Europe, and global markets; (3) barrier and best practice synthesis. Key findings reveal five market gaps: voice biomarker integration, passive monitoring capabilities, proactive AI intervention, SME-focused solutions, and continuous tracking. Hear & Act occupies competitive white space, combining voice-first passive monitoring with proactive early detection where no competitors currently operate. Three adoption barriers emerge: (1) regulatory complexity under GDPR and EU AI Act; (2) employee surveillance concerns; (3) SME organizational readiness gaps in infrastructure and analytics capability. Contributions include: (a) competitive landscape mapping for evidence-based positioning; (b) barrier interaction characterization; (c) deployment best practices (workflow integration, staged expansion, contextual monitoring); (d) dual value proposition framework addressing employee wellbeing and organizational risk management. Voice biomarker platforms face a 24-36 month defensibility window contingent on clinical validation and customer acquisition. Success depends on asset complementarity: proprietary datasets, compliance infrastructure, academic credibility, and SME beachhead strategies.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/247600