A new industrial revolution? Labor, technology and the automotive industry
The up rise of a new industrial revolution, the so-called Industry 4.0, is gaining increasingly attention both in public debates and in academic research. In fact, in recent years different countries have been approving plans of investment in order to spur innovation within manufacturing and service sectors. However, in some countries, like Italy, their outlines are still blurred and confused, because of the complexity of the process and the simultaneous contribution of several factors. While the attention seems to be focused on the potential and impressive reduction in manufacturing employment due to the increasing automation, an investigation on the current and future change of labor, firms’ capabilities and institutions has not been carried out. The aim of this conference is to propose an eclectic perspective to the topic that accounts for different and interdisciplinary contributions.
The first part of the conference will address the broad issue of the effects of technological innovations on human labor, trying to discuss whether we are really experiencing a disruptive change with the emergence of new paradigm or rather a continuity with the previous ones. Furthermore, the concept of platform economy and digital labor will be introduced. Indeed, the second part of the conference will be focused on the automotive sector, through different presentations covering both an economic and sociological perspective on its evolution and recent changes.
PROGRAM
10.30-13.00
Morning Session
Lost in innovation? Labor in the new industrial revolution
10.30-10.45
Welcome speech by Alessandro Nuvolari - Director of the Institute of Economics at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
10.45-11.00
Introduction by organizers
11.00-11.30 Stefano Musso - Associate Professor of History at the University of Turin
How does technological innovation affect work and workers? A historical overview on Italian manufacturing
11.30-12.00 Paola Tubaro - Senior Researcher at CNRS
Micro-work, artificial intelligence and the automotive industry
12.00-12.30 Angelo Salento - Associate professor of Economic sociology at the University of Salento
Constraints and decisions in the domain 'Industry 4.0'
12.30- 13.00
Discussions and questions
13.00-14.00 Lunch
14.00-17.00
Afternoon session
The case of automotive industry
14.00-14.30 Massimo Moggi - Seldon Group, professional affiliate of the Institute of Economics of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
A taxonomy of new technologies in the automotive sector: disruptive or incremental innovations?
14.30-15.00 Tommaso Pardi - Senior Researcher at CNRS and Director of GERPISA
The future of work in the automotive sector: a general overview
15.00-15.30 Francesco Garibaldo - Director of Fondazione Claudio Sabattini, Bologna
The role of trade unions and workers participation in the innovation process
15.30-16.00 Valeria Cirillo (Researcher at INAPP), Matteo Rinaldini (Assistant Professor of Sociology at University of Modena-Reggio Emilia), Jacopo Staccioli (PhD student at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna), Marica Virgilito (Assistant Professor at Università Cattolica, Milano and affiliate researcher of the Institute of Economics of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna)
Workers' awareness context in Italian 4.0 factories
16.00-16.00
Discussion, questions and questions