Expert list Industry 4.0 / Work 4.0

How does digitalization change people and their professional relationships?

From production work to service work, industry 4.0, and labor 4.0: Digitalization is changing the world of work massively. Sociologist Prof. Dr. Caroline Ruiner is investigating how individuals, teams, and relationships with management levels change with digitalization.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Caroline Ruiner, Department of Sociology, 0711 459 23437, email

New technologies and age - do all people participate in development?

Is it even worth it for older people to learn new ways of working? Are older people discriminated against in the world of work? How can younger and older employees benefit from each other? Prof. Dr. Ulrike Fasbender is concerned with the behavior of people in change processes at the individual, team, and organizational level.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Ulrike Fasbender, Department of Business and Organizational Psychology, +49 (0)711 459 24754, email 

Are robots ethical?

Robots will radically change society. In the next 20 years, up to 40 percent of human workers could be replaced by robots. The effects will be felt in various economic sectors to very differing degrees: Besides classic rationalizations, which typically replace unqualified employees in standardized production processes, robots with artificial intelligence will start to take on work of the highly qualified professions.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Pyka looks at the future of robotics and its effects on business and society. In addition to economic implications, ethical questions on human-machine interaction and the design of robots are at the forefront. Prof. Dr. Pyka answers questions about what ethical robots could look like, which changes in robot designs would make sense, especially in the health and long-term care sector, and how human needs and social concerns can be taken into consideration when developing robots.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Andreas Pyka, Department of Economics: Innovation Economics, +49 711 459 24481, Email

New world of work - are people ready for technological change?

Technological advances such as digitalization and artificial intelligence are changing the way we work. Acquired knowledge quickly decays, so employees must constantly update technology-related knowledge. Prof. Dr. Ulrike Fasbender researches the motivation of employees to learn new technologies in order to understand their willingness to change or their resistance. What are the organizational barriers and enabling factors? What is the role of managers?

Contact: Prof. Dr. Ulrike Fasbender, Department of Business and Organizational Psychology, +49 (0)711 459 24754, email

Work 4.0: How can digitalization contribute to sustainable behavior in the workplace?

What incentives can change workplace behavior in favor of sustainability? What are the barriers? What is the underlying individual motivation? Digitalization and artificial intelligence can contribute to this change. Prof. Dr. Siegmar Otto shows you the possibilities.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Siegmar Otto, Department of Sustainable Development and Change, +49 711 459-24940, email 

Digitalization in controlling – what does this mean for companies and employees?

The digital transformation is also changing controlling in companies. Characteristic of this are, for example, automation and standardization of processes as well as shortened periods for data collection and analysis for management reporting. What opportunities does this present for the company? And what do these changes mean for employees? Prof. Dr. Anja Schwering can provide answers to these questions.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Anja Schwering, Department of Business Administration: Controlling, +49 711 459-23415, email

Business and industry 4.0 - acceptance, benefits, and marketing?

Are businesses accepting Industry 4.0? How can it benefit small and medium-sized businesses? Can we anticipate marketing problems with Industry 4.0 applications? And how can we confront these? Prof. Dr. Markus Voeth can explain the background to these questions.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Markus Voeth, Department of Business Administration: Marketing & Business Development, +49 711 459 22925, E-mail

Producing food more sustainably - thanks to digitalization

Food processing and the food supply chain can be made more sustainable and efficient. At the same time, the traceability of food can be improved. To achieve this, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Christian Krupitzer is relying on digitalization. He applies methods and technologies from the fields of artificial intelligence, predictive data analytics, Industry 4.0, adaptive software systems, and Internet of Things (IoT) in food processing and the food supply chain.
 
Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Christian Krupitzer, Department of Food Informatics, +49 711 459 23664, email

Law: Who is liable if technology takes on a life of its own?

When machines monitor processes, make decisions, and act independently, then there are many open legal questions. Even if the technical systems work without error, undesirable situations can arise. Can an intelligent software agent be made responsible for its actions? Who is liable if an industrial robot or autonomous vehicle causes an accident?

In Industry 4.0, companies are increasingly cooperating in the development and production of products. Who is liable if a product was developed jointly by two companies? What happens if the product collects data from a client that allow for the conclusion that there are manufacturing defects? Discuss these questions related to Industry 4.0 with the computer scientist Prof. Dr. Stefan Kirn, expert for artificial intelligence, and Hon.-Prof. Claus D. Müller-Hengstenberg, lawyer with a specialization in IT law.

You deal with the transfer of Industry 4.0 concepts into the service sector, for example health care, logistics, banking, and insurance? Prof. Dr. Stefan Kirn has extensive expertise in this area, too.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Stefan Kirn, Information Systems II, +49 711 459-24025, email
Prof. Claus D. Müller-Hengstenberg, Honorary Professor in the Department of Information Systems II, +49 711 459-24025, email

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