Future of Industrial Work Conf. to kick off on Sept 16

16 / 09 / 2019

By Marwa Nassar - -

The Future of Industrial Work Conference will kick off in Vienna on September 16. Two United Nations agencies will join an international network of academics, civil society organisations and policymakers to host a workshop on automation, artificial intelligence, and premature de-industrialization.

The interdisciplinary workshop – co-hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations University and the Global Inequality Dynamics Research Network – will investigate the future of industrial work, including threats posed to developing countries by emerging technologies and ‘premature de-industrialization’.

With sessions focusing on automation and globalization, jobs and development, as well as premature de-industrialization and structural transformation, the event will feature researchers from the Universities of Cambridge, Harvard and Johannesburg, as well as from the International Monetary Fund, the Overseas Development Institute and the World Trade Organization, among many others.

The workshop will open with a keynote speech from Margaret McMillan (Tufts University), followed by five subject-tailored sessions, and a policy panel chaired by Kunal Sen (UNU-WIDER). As such, more than 30 researchers from around the world will tackle the most pressing questions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The event will feature a number of practical outputs, including media interviews with high-level researchers and a series of policy briefs, set for release in late 2019.