Future of Work: How can Germany be a leader in the Digital Economy? (en)

Steven Hill, Anke Hassel, Max Neufeind, Anna-Katharina Alex How can
Germany can be a leader in the Digital Economy? Rather than copying
the Silicon Valley model, how can Germany forge a new “Way of
Innovation” that ensures a more tech-driven economy doesn’t further
enlarge the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots”? Silicon Valley
has launched new startup companies and corralled our private data
in ways that both amaze and alarm us. But the most profound change
of all is coming in how people work. Many businesses today prefer
to hire workers who are contractors, freelancers and solo
self-employed rather than permanent or full-time, because they want
a labor force they can turn on and off like a light bulb – “fired
by algorithm.” Many of these companies pay low wages, with no
social welfare protections and little future. Some experts view
this model as a threat to Germany’s prosperity, which has been
based on solidarity and co-determination between the different
economic sectors. Germany appears to be only a few years behind the
US in experiencing this new type of “job inequality,” in which
certain types of jobs are a lot better than others. Could a
universal, portable social welfare net that covers all workers,
including freelancers, help preserve a broadly shared prosperity in
Germany? Could a Guaranteed/Universal Basic Income play that
function? Or how about other ideas proposed by government leaders,
such as to create more flexibility in the workday for employed
people?   Panelists include:  Steven Hill is a frequent
columnist for Die Zeit and Handelsblatt, and author of the recently
published  book "Die Startup Illusion: Wie die Internet-
Ökonomie unseren Sozialstaat ruiniert" (Droemer Knaur, May
2017). www.Steven-Hill.com and @StevenHill1776 Prof. Dr.
Anke Hassel is Professor of Public Policy at the Hertie School of
Governance and Academic Director of the Institute of Economic and
Social Research (WSI), an independent academic institute within the
Hans-Böckler-Foundation. Her research centres on business systems,
labour rights and corporate social responsibility. 
@AnkeHassel  Dr. Max Neufeind is a researcher
and adviser on the future of work. He is a policy fellow with
the Berlin-based think tank Das Progressive Zentrum and a member of
TT30, the young think tank of the Club of Rome.
@MaxNeufeind https://youtu.be/ox944_CBsSQ Anna Alex is the
co-founder and CEO of Outfittery, a personal shopping service for
men. Anna studied in Freiburg and Paris, and started her
career at Rocket Internet in Berlin. She was head of IT at a
Swiss online company before she fulfilled her dream of
starting Outfittery. @AnnaAlexxx