Everything has changed. Everything is faster. Everything is more artificial. Everything without people? That could be the impression you receive nowadays. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, acceleration, mobility, life-long learning are just some of the words already characterising part of our working world. Is this all too much for each individual? Is he maybe too slow, or too inflexible? Over the thousands of years of living on this earth, man has always had plenty of time to be able to adapt to new living conditions.

Is man being pushed aside? Is he losing his place? Up to now he has played an important role, also at work. Because he can do things which no machine can do. Because he has abilities which do not fit into any binary code. Because as a natural "all-rounder" he is and will remain superior to any artificially made "expert"…

Even in the new working environment, people will remain the centre of attention, The new ways of working will need to be geared to their cultural abilities, as for example, their knowledge and creativity, their "human resources". As we have learned in the past, people themselves are the best models for the design of the future. The aim of occupational safety and health is to achieve a viable symbiosis of man, nature and technology.

Present and past examples have shown that work should be designed to provide a challenge and encouragement to the person as a whole, to incorporate all his senses, his intellect, his experiences and feelings.

Nowadays nothing is as constant as change. New professions are created, others cease to exist or undergo change. In the new world of work, people will be unable to meet the requirements with one single qualification. Life-long learning will be the rule. All the same, people will remain people, regardless of all the changes. And they want security and need traditions. Both the traditional qualifications such as knowledge, experience and skill on the one hand and dealing with virtual reality, mobility and flexibility on the other hand, will have their place in the future. The traditional and the new worlds of work will exist side by side, and ideally will blend with each other.

Will the surgeon wearing cyber-glasses, still have to feel and touch his patients? At the DASA, a hairdressing salon is opening up behind him. People in the future will continue to care for and touch each other, just as they did thousands of years ago.

The acceleration in all areas of life, in particular in the high-tech world of work, sets the pace for the engineer in "virtual construction". The metal-worker's workplace is opening up behind her. He symbolises the human need for consistency and continuity in the world of work.

The architect portrays feasibility. Both above and below ground, he makes plans for buildings with his brain and a computer. Hard, physical labour however, is still necessary to build them, as for example on tunnel construction.

The scientist must be very flexible. She has to adapt to the place where her expert knowledge is required. Behind her you can see a work place at home. Working in a fixed place, which through the introduction of tele-working, will continue to have a future, satisfies the need for close personal contact and feeling close to home.