TUM Living Lab 2040: Shaping the future of work
Within the framework of the TUM Living Lab 2040, we are researching what the working world of tomorrow could look like – digital, networked, and human-centered. Our goal is to develop innovative technologies and concepts that not only enable online work, home office, and hybrid meetings, but redefine them.
What is the Living Lab 2040?
The Living Lab at Lab48 at Munich Airport is a realistic testing ground run by the Chair of Ergonomics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where companies, research institutions, and employees collaborate on solutions for the future of work. It combines technological innovation with practical experience and creates space for experimentation, feedback, and continuous improvement.
As a real-world laboratory, it provides a platform for research and co-creation on future-oriented issues related to mobility, work, and sustainable urban development – always with people at the center.
Research focus
- Next-Generation Virtual Workspaces
Development of immersive platforms with mixed-reality technologies that seamlessly blend physical and digital work environments. - AI-Powered Collaboration
Use of intelligent assistance systems for moderating hybrid meetings, automatic meeting minutes, and task allocation. - Adaptive Home Office Infrastructures
Smart home workspaces that dynamically adapt to individual needs, time of day, and team interactions. - Digital Ethics and Well-being
Design of technologies that are not only efficient but also promote health and inclusion.
A glimpse into the year 2040
In 2040, work will no longer be tied to fixed locations or times. Teams will work globally, supported by holographic meeting rooms, AI coaches, and personalized digital twins. Work and value creation will need to be resilient to cope with unpredictable, critical events. Location-flexible communication and collaboration will play a crucial role in this.
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed our mobility and working environments, creating new challenges for work and mobility. Teleworking and flexible work arrangements have altered commuting patterns and underscored the urgent need for innovative solutions to promote alternative ways of working. We are already in the next phase of development, where mobile working and physical presence are being renegotiated. Against this backdrop, the current situation offers a unique opportunity to redesign the work and mobility landscape and foster innovative working environments.
The Living Lab 2040 is where this vision becomes reality – step by step, together with the people who will live it.
Help shape it
The Living Lab invites companies, startups, scientists, and creative minds to become part of this movement. Together, we develop solutions that are not only technologically advanced but also socially sustainable. Contact us at: LivingLab.lfe@ed.tum.de