Digital age

Game-changing technologies: Transforming production and employment in Europe

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Publié
22 Janvier 2020
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Executive summary in 22 languages

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Authors: 
Peruffo, Eleonora; Rodriguez Contreras, Ricardo; Mandl, Irene; Bisello, Martina

Key findings

  • Game-changing technologies (GCTs) are those expected to have a disruptive effect on the economy, labour market and society; GCTs should be monitored to identify early interventions to foster growth or to prevent negative effects.
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  • There is considerable difference as regards technical and market maturity across GCTs and their adoption across sectors. For example, advanced robotics is a comparatively well established technology in some manufacturing sectors, while at early stage adoption in services. Blockchain, in contrast, is hardly operationally used by business in general, and if applied, then rather in services.
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  • The numerical employment impact of GCTs is hard to assess, but most probably is less severe than often discussed. Most analysed GCTs show some potential for both, job creation (notably higher-skilled jobs related to data handling, science and analytics) and job loss (notably jobs characterised by a high level of automatable routine tasks).
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  • More importantly, GCTs are expected to have a substantial impact on the task composition within jobs, which is likely to result in disruptive changes as regards skills needs and use and work organisation.
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  • To ensure, at the same time, global competitiveness of European companies and sustainable employment and decent working conditions for the workforce, policy interventions are needed, even if the GCTs are not yet widely adopted by business.
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Résumé

Innovation and technological advancement are natural features of developed economies, and they are necessary to maintain and improve sustainable competitiveness in an era of globalisation. However, while most innovation tends to be incremental, some has a disruptive effect on production and service provision, the labour market and social dialogue. This report discusses a selection of eight so-called ‘game-changing technologies’ (advanced robotics, additive manufacturing, the Internet of Things, electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, industrial biotechnologies, blockchain and virtual and augmented reality). Each of these has the potential to substantially change business activities, work and employment in Europe. Looking at both the manufacturing and services sectors, this report gives an indication of how these technologies might be adopted and how they are expected to affect the labour market.

  • Full report

    Number of Pages: 
    54
    Reference No: 
    EF19047
    ISBN: 
    978-92-897-2044-1
    Catalogue: 
    TJ-03-20-015-EN-C
    DOI: 
    10.2806/198
    Permalink: 
    eurofound.link/ef19047
    Catalogue info

    Game-changing technologies: Transforming production and employment in Europe

    Authors: 
    Peruffo, Eleonora; Rodriguez Contreras, Ricardo; Mandl, Irene; Bisello, Martina
    Topics: 
    Platform work; Small and medium-sized enterprises; Structural change; Industrial policy; L’ère numérique: opportunités et défis pour le travail et l’emploi; Évolution du marché du travail
    Cite this publication as: 
    Eurofound (2020), Game-changing technologies: Transforming production and employment in Europe, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

  • Executive summary

    Catalogue info

    Des technologies révolutionnaires pour transformer la production et l’emploi en Europe

    Authors: 
    Eurofound

    L’innovation et le progrès technologique sont des caractéristiques naturelles des économies développées. Ils sont nécessaires pour maintenir et améliorer une compétitivité durable à l’ère de la mondialisation. Cependant, si la plupart des innovations ont tendance à être progressives, certaines ont un effet déstabilisant sur la production et la fourniture de services, le marché du travail et le dialogue social. Ce rapport examine une sélection de huit technologies dites «révolutionnaires» (robotique avancée, fabrication additive, internet des objets, véhicules électriques, véhicules autonomes, biotechnologies industrielles, blockchain, réalité virtuelle et réalité augmentée). Chacune de ces technologies a le potentiel de faire évoluer de manière substantielle les activités commerciales, le travail et l’emploi en Europe. En examinant à la fois le secteur manufacturier et celui des services, ce rapport donne une indication sur la manière dont ces technologies pourraient être adoptées et sur la manière dont elles devraient affecter le marché du travail.

    Available in 22 languages for download

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  • Working papers

    Related working papers

    The working papers accompanying this report deal with the implications for the services sector.

  • Data and infographics

    Figures

    • Figure 1: Narrow AI: fields of application
    • Figure 2: Vectors of digital change and analysed GCTs
    • Figure 3: GCTs in manufacturing: potential employment implications
    • Figure 4: GCTs in services: potential employment implications
    • Figure 5: Overview of potential impact of the analysed GCTs on selected working conditions

    Tables

    • Table 1: GCTs selected for analysis
    • Table 2: Definitions of the analysed GCTs
    • Table 3: Example applications of GCTs
    • Table 4: Estimated potential market size of analysed GCTs
    • Table 5: Overview of key factors influencing adoption of the analysed GCTs
    • Table 6: Potential job creation and job loss by sector and GCT
    • Table 7: Expected effects of analysed GCTs on skills use and skills development
    • Table 8: Expected effects of analysed GCTs on work organisation
    • Table 9: Expected effects of analysed GCTs on working time and work intensity
    • Table 10: Expected effects of the analysed GCTs on autonomy, flexibility and control
    • Table 11: Expected effects of analysed GCTs on workers’ health and safety

    Infographics

    The infographics accompanying this report deal with the implications for the services sector.

    Eurofound infographic on advanced robotics

    Eurofound infographic on autonomous transport devices

    Eurofound infographic on blockchain

    Eurofound infographic on virtual and augmented reality

    Eurofound infographic on wearable devices

     

     

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