Policy Lab Digital, Work & Society

With the Policy Lab Digital, Work & Society, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is establishing a new, interdisciplinary and agile organisational unit that combines the functions and working practices of a traditional think tank and those of a modern future lab. The aim is to identify new areas of activity for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs due to digitalization and other trends at an early stage, consider the labour market to a greater extent in a social context and develop new solutions for the labour market of the future.

The Policy Lab Digital, Work & Society will combine projects and processes dealing with the digital transformation at the BMAS and use them to create a bigger picture of the labour market of the future. It will thus provide a central supporting function for academia, those people involved at a practical level and social partners. The Policy Lab will follow an approach where digitalisation is considered in a consistent and systematic manner based on its impact on people and their social and civic relationships. Especially against the background of a constantly changing digital economy, this approach will be based on the firm conviction that employment relationships can be oriented to the needs of employees and the requirements of good working practices.

Using scientific methods for the development of strategic forecasts, the Policy Lab will observe technological, economic and social trends. What significance will they have for the future of the labour market? What lines of development are possible? What is the current state of international research and how can we benefit from the experienced gained by other countries? Where is there a need for research and what partners from academia and those involved at a practical level can help us to identify where there is a need for knowledge and fill any gaps in the research? The Policy Lab will define any immediate and long-term requirement for government policies on this basis. It will develop specific policy tasks for the BMAS and thus make a significant contribution to the digitalisation strategy of the German government.

"We must continue to invest in research and technology transfer on a large scale, but we must also provide orientation for the whole process and set policies to shape the strategy. In the development and use of artificial intelligence, our focus is on human beings and the benefits to society." Hubertus Heil, Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs

Visit the Policy Lab Digital, Work & Society at the re:publica 19 in Berlin - we're looking forward!