Companies from the region and experts gathered at the invitation of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences to discuss the topic of ‘Digitalisation – Demography – Diversity’.
Over the next eleven years, the number of people in employment in the Lower Rhine region is set to fall by around 15 per cent as a result of demographic change. At the same time, digitalisation processes within companies will intensify and advance, not least to maintain the region’s competitiveness. This will inevitably lead to a transformation of the employment landscape. Against this backdrop, in order to meet current and future labour demand, the business sector must explore new avenues and tap into new labour pools: by promoting women to leadership roles and increasingly targeting mothers, women returning to work, and people from migrant backgrounds. However, such steps are only possible if appropriate strategies are developed to increase workforce diversity and enable organisations to work effectively with this diverse workforce.
To address precisely these challenges, present possible strategies and bring together interested stakeholders, Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences organised an event. A further aim was to recruit project companies and cooperation partners to form an advisory board. The meeting, attended by around 60 representatives from business, politics, associations and other sectors of society, marks the launch of a research project. Under the leadership of Professor Dr Eva-Maria Hinterhuber, Professor of Sociology specialising in gender studies at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, the project aims to develop diversity strategies for successful recruitment and staff retention in collaboration with the regional business community, against the backdrop of increasing digitalisation and demographic change. “The project centres on the question: How can we harness the impact of digitalisation on work processes within companies through gender diversity management to tackle the skills shortage? The aim is to strengthen regional businesses in this way and to maintain the Rhine-Waal region as an attractive place to live and work,” explains Professor Hinterhuber.
The centrepiece of the event was a workshop in which participants explored, amongst other things, the challenges and potential of the Lower Rhine region and the Rhine-Waal region. Whilst demographic trends and digitalisation processes do not stop at national borders, the approaches to tackling the resulting challenges can vary considerably. In this respect, there has always been a desire to learn from one another by looking across the Dutch-German border.
“The entire Euregio Rhine-Waal region must be prepared for the future. Disruptive developments and new business models are having a major impact. The fact that Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences is addressing issues such as digitalisation and diversity in this context is an important step in the right direction. I see the border as an opportunity. Our region as a model of excellence, a sort of ‘living lab’, where progress is welcomed and people are willing to learn from one another. As this is not a given everywhere, it makes the collaboration all the more valuable,” says Sigrid Helbig, Director of The Economic Board, Nijmegen, summarising the kick-off meeting. And Dr Gabriele Schambach, founder of Genderworks, who is providing academic support for the project, adds: “We’ve received an enormous response. A number of companies are already interested in a project partnership, and many participants would like to serve on the advisory board. This also shows just how topical the issue is.”
The actual research phase is set to begin later this year. Companies from the region that were unable to attend the event but would like to get involved can contact perspektive.rhein-waal@genderworks.de if they are interested.
