2018.12. 4 
General The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has dedicated its Year of Science 2018 to the future of work and how we can prepare for the upcoming changes. The Year of Science 2018 will end with a highlight: a major conference in Stuttgart, Germany from December 4-5, where a number of institutions and firms all over the world, besides Lantek, and the national research community will present their current findings and perspectives to stimulate a lively discussion about the working life of the future, both onsite in Stuttgart and remotely by joining the conference virtually. It will be performed like a virtual tour around the world connecting international researchers.
The overall goal is to share current academic insights with the general public. The key questions of the conference are the followings:
• How are digital technologies transforming the future of work? What impact are they having on the way we live, learn and work?
• What groundbreaking inventions have come about as a consequence of digitalization?
• What do we need to do to prepare ourselves for the technological and social changes and economic challenges waiting around the corner?
• What differences and commonalities exist between the research interests and findings in different parts of the world concerning future working practices?
Gemma Nogales, People Development Director of Lantek, will join today the conference virtually as one of twelve partners actively participating in this virtual journey and presenting their ideas on the future of work. In her lecture, she will explain the difficulties that a technology company like Lantek has in attracting, retraining and retaining talent.
The conference and virtual tour will cover other topics such as:
• The labor market, flexible working arrangements and demography
• Leadership, corporate culture as well as learning and skill development
• The future of workspaces and environments and health & safety measures
• Work models, organizational development and human-technology interaction
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in Germany has tasked the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (Fraunhofer IAO) with coordinating the conference.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the largest organization for applied research in Europe. Fraunhofer IAO is one of Germany’s leading institutes for applied research regarding the impact of technology on working and living environments.