Organizations are heading towards a new and changed world. The technological evolution has during the last couple of years shortened, if not eliminated, the distances between the producers, the wholesale dealers and consumers. These new conditions require businesses to adapt to the rapidly changing markets both nationally and internationally. While new technologies, such as automation, robotics and AI proves beneficial, they raise difficult questions, because they disrupt industries, automate jobs and affect the characteristics of the work.

One of the challenges that organizations will face is a change in the way employees are educated. Instead of a traditional four- or five-year long education, technology enables us to view education as a continuous and lifelong process. But what does that imply for organizations’ hiring processes, evaluation processes, employee growth and development etc.? and how will future leaders organize the company, when technologies potentially will play an almost equal role as employees? These questions are merely two out of a range of questions that the Innovation Centre Denmark in Silicon Valley has explored in a yearlong project, Future of Work, about the technological transformation and its consequences.

Get unique insight into the solutions of tomorrow

To enhance Danish organizations’ knowledge on the future of work, we share our knowledge with organizations that want to prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. Through a weeklong master class in Silicon Valley (June 3rd -7th) Danish organizations can get insight into American perspectives within the field of trends and new technologies and get the opportunity to work with solutions for their own future challenges. The master class has a case-based approach, where we will look into organizations that have solved challenges similar to those the participants’ organizations can encounter in the near future. Furthermore, the week will consist of exciting discussions and keynotes from experts in the industry, such as Stanford University and Institute for the Future.

Participating in the Future of Work Master Class was a wakeup call in terms of how fast the technological transformation is happening, and how unprepared we are for what is about to come.

Gitte Pfeffer, Head of International Services

Workz

One of the companies that participated in the Future of Work Master Class 2018 was Workz. Gitte Pfeffer, Head of International Services, chose to participate in the master class to get a different perspective on the part of the organization’s work that contains leadership growth and development.

“Participating in the Future of Work Master Class was a wakeup call in terms of how fast the technological transformation is happening, and how unprepared we are for what is about to come. The technological innovation creates phenomenal opportunities, but it might go terribly wrong, if no "adults" are present. We need to define global rules and ethics within Industry 4.0” Gitte explains.

The aim of the master class is for organizations to get insight based on facts and specific cases that enables them to evaluate consequences and opportunities for the organization in relation to the future of work. Anders Christjansen, Senior Innovation Advisor at the Innovation Centre Denmark in Silicon Valley explains:

“We offer a unique possibility in the epicenter of technology, Silicon Valley, to gain tangible insight into technologies such as AI and AR/VR, and how these affect the future of work. Additionally, you will learn about the future competencies and lifelong learning from leading tech pioneers."

Bring your challenges to Silicon Valley

Ahead of the master class, the participants will need to identify 1-2 challenges in their organization that relates to the future of work, which they will be able to work on throughout the master class. Thomas Winther Poulsen, COO at the Innovation Centre Denmark in Silicon Valley, is among others responsible for the week and he promises that the participants will be bringing home new and useful knowledge.

"At the master class the challenges you bring will be highlighted and explored from multiple angles and through various lenses. Throughout the week, you will be exposed to a variety of different perspectives and solutions on your challenges. I can guarantee that you will be coming home with more ideas for a solution to your problem, than you had when you arrived here."

Gitte explains that Workz gained a lot of knowledge at last year’s master class and that she actively uses the achieved knowledge to alter the organization’s future.

“We will use the knowledge we achieved at the master class to consciously navigate when determining the market and adapting our organization to the transformation that is coming that doesn’t look like anything we have experienced before."