How technology will change the future of work

Emerging technologies are gradually affecting many areas – how we consume information, do shopping, learn, communicate – and our working environment. While we’re still far from total robotization and futuristic Philip Dick’s sci-fi technologies, some aspects are already infiltrating many job roles and industries. This infiltration might lead to emerging of new job requirements, new skills, and the whole new approach to how we perform our jobs. In this blog post we’re taking a brief look at how technology will change the future of work in different domains.

In this industry, skill requirements and their complexity are changing rapidly. This is just one of the key findings of the Future Chemie Report, which we’ve released this year together with IG BCE and BAVC.

On the global scale, new technologies related to automation and robotics, material sciences, 3D printing, IoT and connectivity, alterative feedstock, virtual reality, cybersecurity, Big Data, biotechnologies, machine learning, and AI, have already been pushing the pharma and chemical industry towards the curve.

Apparently, adoption of emerging technologies differs for different countries. For instance:

• The US leads the demand for talents that have data science and analytics skills, knowledge of machine learning and AI, and hands-on Big Data technologies.
• China focuses on professionals demonstrating material sciences skills.
• German chemical industry, in turn, is well-positioned in regard with such trending skills as automation and robotics, 3D printing and additive manufacturing,

Here’s the global overview of the top jobs and skills of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry:

The aim of emerging technologies is not purely automation and digitalization, though. Just a few cases, how technologies can change the future of work in pharma and chemical industry include:

• Prevention, early detection, and interventions in the earliest stages possible due to data analytics, machine learning, and algorithms
• Medical intervention enabled by robotics, nanotechnology, or tissue engineering
• Customized and curative treatments driven by data-powered insights
• Digital therapeutics for nonpharmaceutical interventions powered by a blend of human and AI capabilities

Oil and gas is another industry that faces a remarkable shift in its workforce. Companies in this domain have already started using technology to increase optimization and reduce production costs, but what impact will this efficiency-driven change have on the industry, organizations, employees, and future of work?

So far, the main engine of progress in the oil and gas domain has been automation and AI. According to EY research Rethinking the oil and gas workforce in 2040 exploring oil and gas in Canada, competencies that with the highest probability will be automated in the next 20 years include:

• Production and processing
• Transportation
• Customer and personal service
• Preventative maintenance
• Managing finances
• Operation and control
• Operation monitoring

Most jobs, that will face automation, relate to drilling and facility operations, marine and nautical, technician, equipment, and geology areas. Apparently, the same areas will see the most significant workforce reduction by 60-65%.

On the bright side, implementation of automation and other new technologies might increase the industry’s appeal to future tech-savvy employees, help companies attract – and grow internally – a highly skilled and educated workforce. Among other roles, the oil and gas industry will hunt for data scientists and software developers.

The pace of change towards future of work is also accelerating in the mining and metals industry. Companies in this domain are primarily focused on adopting robotics, IoT & connected devices, and Big Data analytics.

Roles that will get increasingly demanded in the next four years include:

• AI and machine learning specialists
• Data analysts and scientists
• Process automation specialists
• Robotics engineers
• Software and applications developers
• Digital transformation specialists
• Remote sensing specialists and technologists
• Management and organization analysts
• IoT specialists
• Big Data specialists

Automation and ‘thinking machines’ indeed might replace human tasks, jobs and require new skills. In our recent interview, Angelika Kambeck, who’s been an HR executive in the mining and metals industry for more than a decade, confirms this assumption:

This, in turn, will entail the need to invest in employees development. As WEF has shared in their recent report, a whopping 73% of companies identified skills gaps in the local labor market as the most significant barrier to adopting new technology. With this in mind, companies need to come up with upskilling and reskilling initiatives to boost their existing workforce tech literacy. This will also help companies keep up with the external labor market to win the rising talent stars.