High wages, shortage of labor - how will Germany be able to maintain its position as a hub of industry in view of these challenges? The Internet of Production (IoP) Cluster of Excellence at RWTH is working on solutions, paving the way for a new industrial era: Real-world production is mapped virtually; everything is connected to everything else and is becoming more intelligent. However, human labor is, and will continue to remain, indispensable.
In addition to material and energy costs, labor costs are among the key costs of production. While material and energy costs fluctuate over time, there are no fluctuations in labor costs in Germany - according to Frank Possel-Dölken, the trend is pointing in one direction only: up. ...
