The two focus areas of the megaproject are described here. The focus areas make up the basis of the current challenges under the megaproject. Are you a supervisor or semester coordinator and should you be interested in contributing new perspectives on possible challenges, please contact the megaproject coordinator for the megaproject. 
 

THE ADAPTABLE AND INNOVATIVE LABOUR MARKET

The rapid technological development poses greater demands for a dynamic, innovative and adaptable labour market on all levels. New technology often represents itself as ‘industry 4.0’  and involves smart and flexible production rather than mass production. This will cause some jobs and tasks to vanish, while others will qualitatively change. The working life and daily routines in a workplace might therefore become quite different. Both companies and employees need to be adaptable and innovative. The development of new skills and competencies will be crucial to ensure that all potentials at a workplace, and the labour market in general, are fully utilized. This is pivotal to prevent workers being stuck in a meaningless job or becoming unemployed because their skills and competencies do not match demand.

This focus area is directed towards exploring the opportunities and the need for adaptability and innovation among both employees and companies, so as many people as possible are included in the working community while holding decent and meaningful jobs – thereby contributing to creating value and economic growth.

For instance, a project could explore how new skill requirements arise in specific workplaces or how employees and management in private companies or public organisations adapt according to the technological development, including digital services and software solutions.

Another focus could be to explore the implications of such adaptive processes on well-being, stress, sickness absence, communication, meaning in working life, efficiency and so forth.

An additional focus could be to develop new and innovative technologies, for instance robotics and software solutions, to be used in private companies or public organisations, so specific tasks are solved better, more gently, or with greater efficiency.
 

THE INCLUSIVE LABOUR MARKET

An inclusive labour market entails providing opportunities for all people to work. An inclusive labour market is often linked to the efforts of integrating or retaining different groups on the ordinary labour market. This may be people with physical disabilities, people with mental illness, neurological minorities, dyslexics, refugees, disadvantaged youth, former inmates and so forth, whom despite of talent and skills, might have difficulties gaining a foothold on the labour market and gaining employment in decent and meaningful jobs.

This focus area is dedicated to uncovering and analysing how the labour market can be transformed towards becoming more inclusive towards these “hidden talents” and to exploring how corporate social responsibility can be strengthened further in order to utilize the resources of these hidden talents even more.

For instance, a student project could be concerned about exploring opportunities and barriers for an inclusive labour market in a national or international perspective. It could also explore and analyse the relation between new technology – for instance robotics or artificial intelligence –and hidden talents’ opportunities for labour market inclusion. The potentials might include greater accessibility for everyone in the form of products or tools for employees with disabilities or a diagnosis, or an architectural perspective on working environment and workplaces.

Furthermore, a different focus could be to find concrete solutions, supporting labour market inclusion of hidden talents. For instance by developing or improving technology and workplace adaptions tailored to the needs and behaviour of these groups. It might for instance include physical or interactive digital products – or re-imagining and designing concepts for appealing work place designs, where all thrive and wish to be – so called playful environments. Existing solutions of this sort might also be the starting point for evaluation and competency assessments of the hidden talents in light of the solutions.

An additional focus could to develop or reimagine diversity management, social business models for private companies and public organisations, including the exploration of employee diversity and the performance of companies.