We have all witnessed the rapid pace of technological change in the past two decades, and we’ve all heard the terms ‘disruptive technology’ or ‘game-changing technology’. A new report released under the EC-delegated FOME project, presents its findings through five case studies.
Disruptive technologies can affect both the ways that individual products are manufactured, right through to entire, sector-wide manufacturing processes. This has significant consequences for individual working conditions and for the broader world of work and society.
The new report Game changing technologies: Exploring the impact on production processes and work summarises the findings of five case studies on the likely impact of game changing technologies on production and employment in the manufacturing sector in Europe up to 2025. These are advanced industrial robotics; industrial internet of things; additive manufacturing; electric vehicles; and industrial biotechnology.
The report shows that production processes will become increasingly digital and less mechanical between now and 2025. It also emphasises the importance of data flows and requirements for data manipulation and analysis. In terms of the labour market, employment demand in manufacturing will most likely further shift away from traditional production line work to increasingly higher skilled profiles. These changes create a number of challenges and possibilities for employers and workers alike.
This report was released under the Future of Manufacturing in Europe (FOME) project, which was proposed by the European Parliament and delegated to Eurofound by the European Commission (DG Grow).
View the report here