Dr Sarah Kieran has been awarded an Horizon 2020 Rise Grant for ongoing research into the digital transformation of work

Dr Sarah Kieran has been awarded an Horizon 2020 Rise Grant for ongoing research into the digital transformation of work. 
 
‘AI4Labour: Reshaping the Labour Force with Artificial Intelligence’ (attracting a total award of €713k) is a collaborative effort with the University of Wolverhampton, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Instituto Tecnológico De Castilla Y Leon and Kadir Has Universitesi.  The project also involves a number of key business partners, including the Irish Centre for Business Excellence www.icbe.ie with whom Sarah and her team have previously partnered in future of work research. (See further details of the AI4Labour project and H2020 Rise scheme below).
 
The award of €110,000, KBS (69k) and ICBE (41k), will support important cross-disciplinary collaborations and build on the Future of Work Project currently funded by Skillnet Ireland in the Department of Work & Employment, KBS (including Dr Sarah Kieran, Dr Lorraine Ryan, Dr Juliet MacMahon and Dr Sarah MacCurtain).
 
This highly prestigious award is an excellent example of important cross-disciplinary collaboration in a cutting edge area and forms a key part of our developing EU funding strategy.
 
 AI4Labour Overview:  The digital transformation of work is having a significant impact on the socio-economic dynamics of society. Moreover, recent pandemic conditions highlight the sensitivity, and positive and negative impacts, of the modern labour force to changing market conditions. AI Technologies not only impact service and manufacturing processes but also the nature of the work and the people who undertake this work. Given that studies on the future of work mention the possibility of automation of 30% of global working hours by 2030, the impact on roles and skills deserves attention. ‘Reshaping labour force participation with Artificial Intelligence - AI4LABOUR’, through a cross-disciplinary research approach, aims to predict the new role and skill requirements which will emerge.  The collaboration of Strategic Management, Work and Employment, Economics and Data Science scholars, in partnership with key sectors and AI specialists across Europe, will seek to translate these role and skill findings into learning interventions. This will be achieved through an AI-powered skill modelling and skill development methodology. This novel methodology will be the foundation of a web portal, linking role, skill and learning solution recommendations for all actors - individuals, companies, institutions and policymakers.
 
H2020 Rise Overview: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/msca-rise-2020
 
Warmest congratulations again to Sarah and her team.