Denkfabrik Digitale Arbeitsgesellschaft

The Denkfabrik Digitale Arbeitsgesellschaft (roughly, "Think Tank Digital Working Society") is a department of Germany's Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS). It functions as the ministry's own experimental space and think tank for the digital transformation of the world of work. Rather than a conventional commercial brand, it is a public-sector knowledge and dialogue platform that convenes actors from society, business, science, politics, civil society and public administration to shape "Work 4.0". The Denkfabrik grew out of the BMAS dialogue process "Arbeiten 4.0", which ran until the end of 2016 and invited experts and the public to rethink work and propose ways to shape a digital working world. The department itself was founded in October 2018, and in 2022 it was reorganised and expanded. Its stated ambition is to bring different perspectives together and to provide a platform for societal dialogue on how technological progress can become social progress. Its work spans several thematic fields. On artificial intelligence, it addresses how AI can be designed so that employees are protected and innovation is fostered, and it runs formats such as the "KI-Studios" with mobile AI info-trucks that tour companies across Germany. It supports civic AI through the "Civic Coding" initiative, including an accelerator and "Pitch & Connect" events for public-interest AI projects. It also works on AI in public administration, platform economy and platform work, and the EU AI Act and EU platform work directive. It publishes funding guidelines, research commissions and event formats, and maintains a public website with news, events and publications. As a BMAS department, the Denkfabrik is state-owned and publicly funded. It does not sell products in a commercial sense; its "offerings" are programmes, funding calls, research, dialogue formats and policy input. Its audience is the German and European public, employers, employees, researchers and policymakers. The Denkfabrik positions itself as a neutral convenor and experimentation space rather than a regulator or commercial vendor.

The Denkfabrik Digitale Arbeitsgesellschaft emerged from the BMAS dialogue process "Arbeiten 4.0". Running until the end of 2016, that process invited experts and the public to rethink work together and to formulate proposals for shaping a digital working world. It explicitly focused on the social conditions and rules of good work in a digital working society, asking how technological progress could also become social progress. One idea that arose within the dialogue was that of learning and experimentation spaces (Lern- und Experimentierräume), in which management and employees jointly develop solutions for the working world 4.0. The department itself was founded in October 2018 as the ministry's own experimental space and think tank. In 2022 it was reorganised and expanded, described on its website as taking "the decisive step further". Since then it has run a broad portfolio of activities. It works on artificial intelligence in the world of work, including the question of how AI can be designed so that employees are protected and innovation is fostered. It operates the KI-Studios, whose mobile AI info-trucks travel from Munich to Bremen and from regional energy suppliers to industrial fairs, bringing AI directly to employees across Germany. It supports public-interest AI through the Civic Coding initiative, including an accelerator whose twelve projects presented their work at a "Pitch & Connect" event, and it examines AI in public administration, for example an application at the Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft that helps formulate around 4.2 million letters per year more understandably. The Denkfabrik also addresses the platform economy, welcoming the EU platform work directive and arguing that cloudwork, crowdwork and gigwork need further research as well as clear rules to enable sustainable development for both employees and companies. It engages with the EU AI Act, which it presents as setting clear rules for AI systems in the EU, creating legal certainty for companies and protecting employees' fundamental rights. It publishes funding guidelines and research commissions, such as a research contract on "Arbeitskräftepotenziale" (labour force potentials), and takes part in public events such as re:publica, where Federal Minister Bärbel Bas discussed AI in the world of work with the digital community. Across its work, the Denkfabrik positions itself as a platform for dialogue among society, business, science, politics, civil society and public administration, and as a space for learning and experimentation rather than a regulator or commercial actor.

• 2022

  The department is reorganised and expanded, described as taking the decisive step further.

• 2018

  The Denkfabrik Digitale Arbeitsgesellschaft department is founded in October as BMAS's own experimental space and think tank.

• 2016

  BMAS dialogue process "Arbeiten 4.0" concludes, having invited experts and the public to rethink work and propose ways to shape a digital working world.

A public-sector think tank and experimentation space within BMAS, convening societal dialogue on the digital transformation of work rather than acting as a commercial vendor or regulator.

• KI-Studios

  Mobile AI info-trucks that tour companies across Germany, from Munich to Bremen and from regional energy suppliers to industrial fairs, bringing AI directly to employees.

• Civic Coding

  An initiative supporting public-interest AI, including an accelerator and 'Pitch & Connect' events where twelve projects presented innovative AI solutions to societal challenges.

• Lern- und Experimentierräume

  Learning and experimentation spaces where management and employees jointly develop solutions for the working world 4.0.

• Funding guidelines (Förderrichtlinien)

  Published funding guidelines with application calls, such as the recently published guideline open for applications.

• Research commissions

  Research contracts such as the 'Arbeitskräftepotenziale' (labour force potentials) commission.

1. 1Startseite der Abteilung Denkfabrik des BMASdenkfabrik-bmas.de
2. 2Abteilung Denkfabrik - Digitale Arbeitsgesellschaftdenkfabrik-bmas.de
3. 3Die Abteilung Denkfabrik Digitale Arbeitsgesellschaftdenkfabrik-bmas.de
4. 4Denkfabrik Digitale Arbeitsgesellschaftwikidata.org