The future of work

Flemish industry today

Not everyone can keep up with the pace of progress in our industry these days. Technology is changing faster than ever, whilst experienced professionals are leaving the sector. As a result, companies are seeking new talent capable of adapting flexibly to the growing wave of automation, data and artificial intelligence (AI). At the same time, sustainability, geopolitical pressures and the war for talent call for a fundamentally different approach to work, training and innovation.

Research into the future

How can we, as an industry, as people and as a workforce, evolve alongside these changes? We are asking ourselves this question aloud more and more often. And above all: how do we ensure that people and machines can continue to reinforce each other?

That is why imec and Flanders Make, with the support of Edtech Station, took the initiative to look further into the future.

Together with more than fifty experts from our industry, the policy sector and the research sector, we investigated what machine- and production-supporting work might look like in 2035. Not merely as a theoretical exercise, but as a strategic compass for Flanders. Only in this way can our region help bring about the necessary change and prepare our people.

Clarity on the vision of the future

This white paper brings together the insights from our comprehensive future exploration. In it, we present:

• four plausible visions of the future of work in 2035,
• the challenges and opportunities that recur in each scenario,
• and some examples of future-proof and people-centred technological research.

The future of Flemish industry lies not only in smart machines, but also in the companies that support their staff in learning to work with these machines.

The time … is now!