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FAW/n Press Release – New Role for Dr. Dirk Solte

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Dr. Dirk Solte Appointed Managing Director of the Publishing House Versicherungswirtschaft

The former Deputy Chairman of the Board of FAW/n, Ulm, will assume leadership of the Karlsruhe-based publishing company Verlag Versicherungswirtschaft GmbH on October 1, 2015. The company’s sole shareholder is the association Verein Versicherungswirtschaft e.V. Since 1946, the journal Versicherungswirtschaft has accompanied the insurance sector as a recognized forum for both practitioners and academics.

Over the past ten years, Dirk Solte has distinguished himself in the fields of future studies, the global financial system, and sustainability through the publication of books and educational materials. As one of the founding department heads at FAW’s predecessor institute, he also developed extensive expertise in modern information and communication technologies, multimedia, and “management of change.” In Ulm, Neu-Ulm, and the surrounding region, the renowned expert and sought-after speaker also served for several years as Telematics Commissioner. Dr. Solte’s connection with the Research Institute for Applied Knowledge Processing (FAW/n) will continue as he takes on his new professional role.

Impacts of “Big Data and Analytics” on Employment and Fair Participation

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Dr. Dirk Solte spoke at the OECD Global Forum on the Knowledge Economy in Tokyo about the impacts of Big Data & Analytics on employment and fair participation.

According to Dr. Solte, defining Big Data and Analytics is by no means simple, which is why he began his talk with a humorous analogy: “Trying to find a correct answer to a question through Big Data and Analytics,” he said, “is like trying to learn about the behavior of a pig by analyzing many potluck dinners using mathematical methods.”

In the first part of his presentation, Dr. Solte explained what Big Data and Analytics are about and what they are used for. The key difference from conventional data and analytics, he noted, lies in the emphasis on correlation rather than causality in the traditional sense. He then provided an overview of several results from his analysis. Big Data, he said, has significant potential to promote green and inclusive growth, but it also carries the risk of technology-induced unemployment. The number of currently 26.75 million unemployed people could, according to Dr. Solte, rise to 53.5 million. However, it would primarily be middle-class jobs that are affected, while the number of highly qualified positions is expected to increase. The major question for the future, therefore, is how to close the emerging gap in the labor market.

Following Dr. Solte’s 15-minute lecture, a discussion took place with both the audience and the other invited speakers. You can find the full presentation as a video recording here.

Image source: Christina Morillo (Pexels)