Title: Futures of robotics. Human work in digital transformation

Authors: Jari Kaivo-oja; Steffen Roth; Leo Westerlund

Addresses: Turku School of Economics, Rehtorinpellonkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland ' La Rochelle Business School, 102 Rue de Coureilles, 17000 La Rochelle, France ' Aie Ltd., Näätätie 3, 00800 Helsinki, Finland

Abstract: In this article we discuss the futures of work and robotics. We evaluate key future trends in the field of robotics and analyse different scenarios regarding the futures of human beings and work life. Subsequently, we present a roadmap of robotics, which covers key aspects of industrial and service robotics, discuss technology foresight insights and inter-linkages to robotics, and identify three critical technology roadmaps: the technological future of robotics, digitalisation and ICT technologies. Finally, we analyse economic, social, and political key challenges of the digital transformation of work and labour policy in the European Union in general and against the backdrop of the European robotics strategy in particular.

Keywords: future of robotics; future of work; digital transformation; foresight; futures studies; industrial robots; service robots; technological future; digitalisation; ICT; information and communications technology; information technology; economic challenges; social challenges; political challenges; work transformation; labour policy; European Union; EU robotics strategy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2017.083074

International Journal of Technology Management, 2017 Vol.73 No.4, pp.176 - 205

Received: 29 Aug 2015
Accepted: 31 Jan 2016

Published online: 20 Mar 2017 *

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