What are the opportunities and the challenges of tomorrow's working world � and how can we help to influence this world so that future generations will live under conditions as good as ours or even better? Why does it make sense to set the parameters of our society's development within the world of chemistry? The framework of our chemical societies � like the ACS or the German Chemical Society � how can it help us to innovate our working world?World-wide characteristics of the changing societies and economics are globalization, internationalization, and mobility. In Germany we expect an employment market in the field of mathematics, engineering, natural sciences and technology (MINT) that will be out of balance concerning supply and demand, due to the demographic development. Either more immigration of human resources or emigration of business might be the result. Already now the German government has set the parameters towards an increase of working lifetime. Many other changes will follow. Will this also result in more employed women with more responsibilities in non-family fields of work, especially in MINT careers? Right now, the life courses of men and women in Germany are still very different � especially when it comes to well-paid jobs. Widespread poverty among the female elderly is already taken for granted for the near future, caused mostly by the continued incompatibility of employment and family and extended periods of part-time employment in the life courses of women.Innovations for tomorrow's working world may come from chemistry! Why? First, chemical industry is a huge employer; second, many chemists are well-paid and socially influential; third, chemists have established strong chemical societies that favour diversity. How will we use this framework for further development towards a better balanced work environment of chemists?

Innovations from chemistry: Our expectations of tomorrow's working world

245th National Meeting (2013)

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