Overview
FutuRes is a research project funded by the by the European Union's Horizon Research and Innovation Programme and led by Prof. Arnstein Aassve at the University of Bocconi . The mission of FutuRes is to advance the concept of a resilient life course as a framework for designing policies that bolster resilience in an ageing Europe. Through a science-to-policy approach, it is creating an interactive and participatory Policy Lab where scientists, policymakers and stakeholders can convene to exchange ideas, engage in discussions, and contribute to building a more resilient Europe.
Professor Jakub Bijak and Emily Barker of the University of Southampton are utilising advanced computational models to examine strategies for mitigating future skill shortages. Their research focuses on two principal factors: migration and technological progress.
You can find out more on the research project website here
Publications & Activities
"How Will Robots Change my Job? Automation and Policies of Resilience"
In Touch with Tomorrow. FutuRes. (2025). (Zoom)
Authors: Barker E,
Invited speaker, Emily Barker, at the seminar "Which and how many engineers for tomorrow?"
Conference of Deans of French Schools of Engineering (CDEFI) (2024). (Brussels)
Authors: Barker E,
Policy paper: Resilience and vulnerability - Migration, ageing and technological change
FutuRes (2024).
Authors: Barker E, Bijak J,
Responding to the Challenges of an Ageing Labour Market - Migration, Automation and AI
Final stakeholder conference of the FutuRes project (2025). (Brussels)
Authors: Bijak J, Barker E,
Skills for Ageing Europe: Migrants? Robots? Other?
Lecture (2025). (Kozminski University)
Authors: Bijak J,
Skills shortage in the EU: Ways towards labour market resilience
(2024).
Authors: Bijak J, Barker E,
Strengthening families, work and pensions in face of demographic change
Population Europe (2025).
Authors: Dearden K, Weissenburger P, Bijak J, Barker E,
To the Labour Market's Rescue: Policy Pathways Forward
(2025).
Authors: Barker E, Bijak J,
Media
They're Our Future, Episode Four FutuRes. 2025
In this podcast, podcast host Daniel Stern reflects on his previous conversations with demography experts, including his interview with Professor Jakub Bijak.
Nine months per year Certain Futures. 2025
In this podcast for the FutuRes project, Professor Jakub Bijak explains the history of demography, the limits of migration as a solution to ageing populations, and the challenges of defining and measuring migration. He encourages a life-course perspective, seeing generational differences as part of a shared human journey.
The Growing Older Quiz FutuRes. 2025
Try the growing older quiz to test your demographic knowledge! Created by the FutuRes - A Resilient Future of Europe, a research project funded by the EU.
Erigir en Europa una mano de obra más resiliente, política por política (Building a more resilient workforce in Europe, policy by policy) The Smart City Journal. 2025
In this news article, Professor Jakub Bijak states that while automation can make some workers vulnerable, it also presents opportunities-if supported by proactive policies focused on upskilling and education-to help people stay in the labour market longer and maintain Europe's competitiveness.
Building Europe a more resilient workforce, one policy at a time European Commission. 2025
The EU-funded FutuRes project is helping European policymakers design resilience-focused policies by connecting leading demographers, economists, and experts to address challenges like automation, an ageing workforce, and economic uncertainty. In this article, Professor Jakub Bijak emphasises the need to invest in automation strategically to support workers, advocating for policies that focus on upskilling and education to maintain Europe's competitiveness and ensure a sustainable future for jobs and well-being.
CPC-CG Webinar - Are migration and automation possible solutions for Europe's ageing challenges? | Dr Emily Barker Youtube. 2025
This CPC-CG Webinar took place on Thursday 24 April 2025. Dr Emily Barker of the University of Southampton presented, "Are migration and automation possible solutions for Europe's ageing challenges?"
Robotlar ve yapay zeka işimizi elimizden alır mı? Hem evet hem hayır (Will robots and artificial intelligence take our jobs? Yes and no...) Evrensel. 2025
Turkish news media article quotes research by Professor Jakub Bijak and Dr Emily Barker about job automation.
How robots will change our jobs Youtube. 2025
Dr Emily Barker presents her research on job automation and the labour market.
How robots will change our jobs FutuRes. 2025
Blog by Dr Emily Barker about her research on how automation may impact jobs.
Incroyable! Nous pensions que nous étions 8 milliards sur la planète. Jusqu'à ce que les chercheurs commencent à faire les comptes (Incredible! We thought there were 8 billion of us on the planet. Until researchers started doing the math) Yahoo Actualités. 2025
News article about world population stats quotes Professor Jakub Bijak from an older BBC news article in 2024 published following the publication of the World Population Prospects study.
Jakub Bijak: "Our models mimic how actual economies work" Youtube. 2025
Professor Jakub Bijak talks about his work on the FutuRes project.
Can robots and migration help address the challenges of ageing? Research Highlights - University of Southampton. 2025
Research article on the University of Southampton's website, Dr Emily Barker and Professor Jakub Bijak look at whether robots or migration are effective strategies for helping an ageing population, as part of the FutuRes research project.
Fact: Automation will replace tasks, not entire jobs FutuRes . 2024
Blog article written by Dr Emily Barker as part of the FutuRes Myth Bust Series. In this article she challenges the myth that robots will replace us in the workplace.
Fact: Migrants get older like everyone else FutuRes. 2023
Professor Jakub Bijak writes another article in the FutuRes Myth Bust Series.
Fact: Ageing affects all of us LinkedIn. 2023
Professor Jakub Bijak has written the first article in the new FutuRes Myth Bust Series.






