Who Shapes the Future of Work? Technology, Migration and Social Rights in the Western Balkans

On 22–23 October 2026, Sarajevo hosted Stay & Shape: Who Shapes the Future of Work?, bringing together researchers, trade union representatives, policymakers, civil society and technology innovators to examine two interconnected transformations: technological change and shifting patterns of labor mobility. The conference explored how these developments are redefining employment, economic opportunities and social rights in the Western Balkans. This edition of Stay & Shape was organized by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Future of Work, and the offices in Southeastern Europe and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB).

The discussions framed the future of work as a question of economic and political choices, with particular attention to who benefits from transformation, who bears its risks, and how workers can influence outcomes.

Changing labor markets, changing power relations

The first day opened with perspectives from Sarah Hees-Kalyani, Director of FES in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Southeastern Europe, Teresa Linzner of Austria's Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, and Samir Kurtović, President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In his keynote, economist Branimir Jovanović presented Ten Commandments for a Better Future, challenging conventional approaches to labor shortages and economic development. His proposals placed higher wages, stronger labor rights, and improved working conditions at the center of a more equitable economic future.

Jelena Šapić examined how migration and digital technologies are changing the geography of work. While emigration continues to reshape the region's labor markets, remote and cross-border employment increasingly allows work to move across borders without workers physically relocating. These developments create new opportunities, but also raise questions about inequalities, employment security and the distribution of power between workers and employers.

The Research & Innovation Bazaar connected these debates with practical examples from the region's innovation ecosystem. VRX Sarajevo, EIT, SkillsArk, Fondacija Mozaik and ANNT presented initiatives spanning immersive technologies, research, entrepreneurship and skills development.

The day's panel, Who Is Shaping the Future of Work?, brought together Amar Numanović of the International Labor Organization, Ratka Babić of the Employment and Social Affairs Platform, and Faris Godinjak of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations. Moderated by Jelena Šapić, the discussion considered the roles of governments, businesses, workers and trade unions in shaping digital transformation.

From technological possibilities to social choices

The second day, introduced by Goran Stanković, President of the Trade Union Confederation of Republika Srpska, turned towards future scenarios and the policy responses needed to navigate them.

Bernd Christoph Ströhm examined the implications of artificial intelligence and automation for the Western Balkans. From AI-assisted workplaces to increasingly automated production, technological developments raise questions about which tasks will change, which jobs may be displaced and whether the region is equipped to benefit from these transformations.

Yet technological preparedness alone cannot guarantee social progress.

Drawing on her 2026 FES study, The Social Dimension of EU Enlargement in the Western Balkans, Mirna Jusić examined whether the European social model and enlargement policies are responding adequately to changing labor markets. Her research identifies a persistent imbalance: reform agendas prioritize employment and skills development, while job quality, income security, social protection and healthcare often receive less attention.

For the Western Balkans, where emigration, demographic aging and institutional constraints intensify existing inequalities, this raises a particularly important question: Can EU integration deliver lasting social progress without placing social rights more firmly at the center of enlargement?

The closing panel brought together the conference's two central themes. Adis Kečo of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, migration researcher Ksenija Ivanović, and Suad Krilašević, President of the Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology, joined a discussion moderated by Dr. Erol Mujanović on how migration and technology could shape the region's future.

Shaping a future that works for everyone

Across both days, the conference highlighted how technological innovation, labor mobility and social protection are closely connected. Investment in new technologies can create opportunities, but the distribution of their benefits depends on labor-market institutions, public policies and the ability of workers to participate in decisions affecting their livelihoods.

For the Western Balkans, this calls for an approach that links technological development and economic competitiveness with decent work, stronger social dialogue and more inclusive social protection. It also places renewed importance on the social dimension of EU enlargement.

As Dr. Inga Sabanova of the FES Competence Center on the Future of Work brought the conference to a close, the central question remained relevant well beyond Sarajevo: the future of work is being shaped today, and workers, their representatives and wider society must have a meaningful role in determining its direction.

Explore the conference program, speaker presentations and related research at stayandshape.com.