Future of Work Summit 2023

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The European Freelance & Future of Work Innovation Summit took place in Brussels on 29th November in the European Parliament.

This consisted of keynotes, panels and sessions dedicated to the workstyle of today covering digital transformation, project-based employment and the rise of open talent. The agenda featured politicians and thought-leaders from business. The sessions were interactive, so that we effectively moved the coffee break atmosphere into the main sessions to ensure dialogue, debate and opinion-sharing.

This event was held in partnership between Ework Group, Freelance Movement, Free Trade Europa, SME Europe and Supportwave.

The owner of an SME, an employee or a worker of the future will need to simultaneously hone various skills in an increasingly digitalized, interconnected, and competitive economy. Industry needs to be able to prepare, while many companies are already experiencing difficulties in filling posts with workers that possess the necessary skills (e.g. 77% of EU companies reported such struggles in 2019, many of them SMEs). Moreover, already in 2018 according to research from the World Economic Forum, adequate training could provide similar or better work to around 96% of employees threatened by changing technologies.

A shift in mindset is necessary, with lifelong learning being the new normal, along with upskilling and reskilling. This will not only help in the digital and green transitions, but will also ensure a more resilient economy, that can bend and warp in times of, often unpredictable and fast, changes. 

On 12th May 2023 we held a roundtable discussion on Workforce Freedom and Innovation. This event looked at new forms of work that have been created via digitalization and the changing nature of employment that is being sought by platforms and individuals alike.

The event brought together Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), Labour Market and Economy & Innovation ministries, academics, platform companies, freelancer representatives and lawyers, as well as Lithuanian Free Market Institute and Free Trade Europa speakers to discuss the topic.

The focus was on freedom, flexibility and personal choice for workers and we shared findings from “The Voice of Freelancers” study, as well as some initial data from “Digitalisation and the Labour Market of the Future” on Lithuania.

This was a one-day event packed with Keynotes, Panels and Sessions dedicated to the workstyle of today covering the Blended workforce, Project-based employment and Open talent. 

We also heard from the public and private sectors on innovation, as well as new products and services.

Check out the dedicated page on this site for more details.

We teamed up with SME Europe and the European People's Party to hold an event at their annual party congress on SMEs and the Future of Work. 

Online platforms are central in the digital transition of economies and societies, and the pandemic has strengthened their role. However, SMEs face challenges and risks in operating on online platforms. The lack of digital skills and the need to adapt business models can pose significant barriers. There are also risks related to digital security, competition distortion and possible lock-in effects. The event therefore brought together politicians, policy and industry experts, in order to create an open dialogue and exchange on learnings and further ideas with regards to the challenges and opportunities for SMEs as regards to platform work. 

The Business Forum was dedicated to the "Tech for Good" topic and connected politicians, industry leaders, innovators, and change-makers to take a deep dive into new forms of cooperation; highlight cutting-edge technologies that foster progress; and create sustainable solutions which support the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

We led a session on “Innovating for society: When business meets purpose.” This looked at how businesses create additional value for society by driving sustainable projects.

Full agenda: https://www.subf.com.ua/program/

Watch a recording of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9bH5Ow50RM

We welcomed some of the leading speakers and practitioners from the Platform Economy to Sweden for our Nordic Platform Economy Innovation Summit. We hosted 100+ attendees from Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, UK, Ireland and Spain to name but a few. We were also delighted to have representatives from industry, public authorities, government and the trade unions.

The key themes of the Summit were: 1) Instant Delivery & Transportation; 2) Financial Inclusion for Gig Workers; 3) RESKILL & UPSKILL: Navigating Human Resources and the Future of Work.