Work 4.0

As an employers' association, do you view the upcoming upheavals brought about by digitalization with optimism or concern?
It’s exciting, but it also means a lot of work to ensure that companies and their employees can take advantage of the opportunities offered by the new world of work. All these efforts will be worthwhile, and everyone will have to do their part—politicians, associations, unions, academia, companies, and, of course, employees.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs, but also for employees?
Companies must review their business models and adapt them to the realities of digitalization. Many companies have already made significant progress in this area, but others have not yet embraced digitalization at all. Overall, we need more flexibility to achieve this, not least in the organization of working hours. In the 2018 collective bargaining round for the metal and electrical industries, we created additional flexibility in working hours for both companies and employees. With regard to employees, the issue of skills development is particularly important. When job tasks and responsibilities are changing at a rapid pace, we must do everything we can to prepare employees for these changes. This applies to both initial training and continuing education. We have just achieved an important success in the area of vocational training: Together with VDMA, ZVEI, and IG Metall, Gesamtmetall has adapted vocational training in the metal and electrical trades to meet the requirements of digitalization and Industry 4.0. Starting with the new training year in fall 2018, companies will be able to train their new employees using the latest methods.

According to a study, German industry plans to invest 40 billion euros annually in Industry 4.0 applications by 2020. How can small and medium-sized enterprises keep up?
Small and medium-sized enterprises have particular strengths in the flexibility and creativity with which they can respond to changing market conditions. That is why I am confident that they will also be able to overcome the challenges of digitalization. Another strength of Germany as a business location is that research, development, and production are organized in clusters involving large corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, and research institutions. However, it would certainly be helpful if the federal government would finally implement the promised tax incentives for research and innovation, which will provide relief to small and medium-sized enterprises in particular.
 

The digital transformation is well underway and is changing the way we live and work. For some people, this sparks enthusiasm and curiosity, while others express concerns and reservations. Where does the DGB stand on this?
The DGB aims to shape this far-reaching structural change. It is open to technological developments and is committed to placing people at the center of this change. Digital transformation is a process that can be shaped.  

The DGB and its member unions emphasize that empowerment is a key approach to ensuring decent work amid digital transformation. What does this mean specifically for employers, and what does it mean for the workforce?
People must be empowered to adapt to change and keep pace with the tremendous speed at which it is occurring. This can only be achieved through training tailored to specific needs. It requires a cultural shift within companies and a change in mindset among many employees. Learning on the job must become the norm.

Quite a few people view the digital transformation with concern because they see their jobs as being at risk. Is this concern justified? And if so, what can policymakers, the business community, and society do to prevent such job losses?
Some jobs will disappear, and new ones will be created. It is still difficult to make reliable predictions about exactly how many of each there will be. What is important is a serious debate about the opportunities and risks—not just in terms of numbers, but also regarding the overall social impact of digital transformation.
 

Sartorius AG has been actively engaged with the topics of Industry 4.0 and digital transformation for years. What does an “Employer 4.0” actually need?
In the pharmaceutical industry, the transition to Industry 4.0 is in full swing—digitalization is really picking up speed right now. We are not only working to further digitize our internal structures, but we are also supporting our customers’ digital transformation by offering them products such as data analysis tools and bioanalytical systems that simplify and accelerate the development and production of biopharmaceuticals. 
We evaluate digital transformation from the customer’s perspective: assessing the changes brought about by digital transformation in terms of customer value and capitalizing on the opportunities they present. As a company, we follow the same approach: the opportunities we turn into products through digital transformation are opportunities for us and our employees, as they empower us to do what it takes to put this understanding of our customers into practice.

Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB) recently entered into a long-term partnership with Siemens in the field of automation. What is the goal of this partnership, and what do you hope to achieve through it?
Through our partnership with Siemens AG, we aim to offer our customers worldwide a standardized automation platform for the products and systems they use to manufacture biopharmaceuticals. That is why, going forward, we will primarily equip our single-use bioreactors, filtration systems, and other equipment with automation technologies from Siemens. By standardizing these products, we make it easier for customers to integrate their systems into overarching automation solutions while also enabling them to scale processes more easily from the laboratory scale all the way to commercial production. The partnership with Siemens thus ensures greater efficiency, quality, and flexibility in the manufacture of drugs.

What advice would you give to companies that are just beginning to tackle the challenges of Work 4.0? Are there any surefire ways to successfully adapt a company to digitalization?
A modern, connected, and dynamic work environment places new demands on everyone in the company—in terms of strategies, skills, and processes. Every company must navigate this development process on its own terms.
 

Your website says: “Every company must ask itself, ‘What does New Work mean for us? How do we want to work together in the future?’” That sounds as if there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, doesn’t it?
That’s right—it all starts with the definition of New Work. The origins of New Work, as defined by Prof. Fritjof Bergmann during the steel and automotive crises of the mid-1970s in the U.S., are quite different from what the term has come to mean in recent years due to marketing. Nevertheless, there is a lot of substance to it; there is no magic formula.

What do the upcoming changes brought about by Work 4.0 actually mean for leaders and their leadership styles?
In corporate management, we are shifting from simple to complex systems. “Ambidexterity” is a buzzword that aptly describes the balance between stability and agility. The challenge for leaders lies in authentically applying multiple systems, work methods, and leadership styles depending on the situation. 

The success of new work models also depends on the existing workforce and its willingness to embrace change. What factors must be considered if “Work 4.0” is to succeed in your own company?
Change doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time and consistency. The more consistently changes are driven from the top, the more successful they are. In addition to all managers (and employees) serving as authentic role models, comprehensive support is essential. Without sufficient time for dialogue, space for discussion and experimentation, and training in new methods, success is unlikely.
 

In 2018, the BMBF is looking to the future with the Year of Science—more specifically, at the “workplaces of the future.” Has the current Year of Science provided any answers yet? How will we be working in—let’s say—15 years?
For us, the title of the Year of Science says it all. We don’t believe anyone can predict how we’ll be working in 15 years. Rather, there will be many different “worlds.” Working hours, work locations, and work environments are becoming increasingly flexible. We’re gaining more and more opportunities to shape our own work environments—and that is precisely what will become the “work worlds of the future.” We can all contribute to shaping this future, and during the Year of Science, we’re already seeing approaches from research in the fields of work, production, and services that point to future possibilities for our work. 

The ministry’s website states: “Progress must not dictate people’s lives; rather, the opposite is true.” What does this mean exactly? What must policymakers, the business community, and society keep in mind during the digital transformation so that we are not overwhelmed by progress?
Our motto is: Experience, Learn, Create! During the Year of Science, we’re bringing these possibilities closer to people through the exhibition ship “MS Wissenschaft,” as well as through discussions and events. You can experience all the possibilities that science, education, and research have to offer. When we experience these possibilities, we can also learn how to apply them. This is also a matter of continuing education and professional development—lifelong learning isn’t just a buzzword for the “working world of the future”; it’s becoming a lived reality for all of us. And based on these experiences and an exploration of the possibilities, we can make decisions and shape our future. This applies to politics and business just as much as it does to all citizens. What kind of world do we want? What kind of future do we want to shape? These are questions that will continue to occupy our minds in the years following the Year of Science 2018.

Many people also view the digital transformation with concern, fearing, for example, for their jobs. How do you address such fears? 
There are now several studies pointing in the same direction. Work is going to change. This does not mean there will be less work; rather, the demands placed on the workforce will change. Our education system is well-equipped to handle this. Adjustments are already being made in vocational training, continuing education, and higher education. Just take, for example, the vocational training regulations, which are already being updated and adapted to the new conditions.