Understand the changes
AI, automation, platform work and the changing realities of labour mobility.
Stay & Shape / Conference series 2026
Sarajevo 22—23.10.2026
Who shapes
the future
of work?
Work, Migration and Technology
The Balkans in focus.
Two days to explore how technology and migration are changing work — and who gets to shape what comes next.
Registration hosted by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
When
22–23 October 2026
Where
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Format & language
In person · English
BCMS interpretation available
01 / The conversation
Work is changing.
Have a say in how.
Technology is changing how we work. Migration is changing who works, where, and under which conditions. In the Balkans, these transformations are happening together.
This conference brings researchers, trade unions, civil society, technology centres, start-ups, businesses and political actors into the same conversation — connecting regional experiences with European and global perspectives.
Meet the innovators
Discover regional research, technologies and start-ups at the interactive innovation bazaar.
Debate what comes next
Explore power, workers’ rights and the choices shaping the future of the Balkans.
02 / The programme
Two days. Big questions.
Draft programme Sessions and speakers are subject to change.
01
10:00—16:30
Thursday · 22 October
Changing world of work
Technology, mobility and the people driving change.
10:00–10:30
Welcome and opening
10:30–11:30 Keynote · Presentation + Q&A How is technology changing work in the Balkans? Branimir Jovanovic · wiiw
Digitalisation, AI, automation, platform work and remote work: what is changing already, and what is still emerging? This keynote explores how Balkan economies and workers are positioned within wider European and global technological transformations.
About the speaker
Economist at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw), covering the Western Balkans and serving as country expert for North Macedonia and Serbia. His work spans economic development, inequality, social policy and labour rights. He previously advised North Macedonia’s Minister of Finance and worked at its National Bank.
11:30–12:30 Keynote · Presentation + Q&A Who moves, who stays, and who works across borders? Jelena Šapić
How are demographic change, emigration, labour shortages and precarious employment connected to technological change? Explore migration for work and cross-border employment made possible by technology, without physical migration.
About the speaker
Researcher focusing on the social impact of human-computer interactions and digital disruptions. Her interests include how digital technologies and AI shift labour divisions and power dynamics. She created Fusing Futures, a podcast on the digital economy and society, recognised in 2019 among the Western Balkans’ most innovative media content.
12:30–13:30
Lunch
13:30–15:00 Research & innovation bazaar What is happening in the Balkans?
Meet organisations working at the intersection of technology, migration and labour. The interactive bazaar combines demonstrations of relevant technologies and tools with examples of start-ups and emerging innovation ecosystems from the region.
15:00–16:30 Panel discussion Who is shaping the future of work?
Who is driving digital transformation in the Balkans, who benefits, and who carries the risks? Are governments regulating technology or responding to changes driven by business and investment? And where are workers and trade unions in these processes?
02
10:00—16:00
Friday · 23 October
The future of labour
Future scenarios, social protection and the choices ahead.
10:00–10:30
Welcome and introduction
10:30–11:30 Keynote · Future scenarios · Presentation + Q&A What happens when machines can do your work? Speaker to be announced
From human augmentation and job transformation to highly automated production, humanoid robots and “dark factories”: explore how emerging technologies are changing the relationship between people and machines. What kind of future are we building, and who gets to shape it? Speaker to be announced.
11:30–12:30 Keynote · European perspective · Presentation + Q&A What happens to the European social model? Mirna Jusić · Charles University
Ageing populations, labour shortages, migration and technological change are reshaping Europe’s social model. This session considers how women and men are affected differently, which workers are most exposed to automation and precarious employment, and how social protection, skills and lifelong learning can adapt. Who should bear the costs of transition?
About the speaker
Assistant Professor in the Department of Public and Social Policy, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University in Prague. Previously, she was a researcher at the Center for Social Research Analitika, which she joined in 2009.
12:30–13:30
Lunch
13:30–15:30 Closing panel How will migration and technology shape the future of the Balkans?
Trade unions, political actors and technology-sector representatives bring together the conference’s two central themes. With a political and local focus, they will debate the consequences for workers, economies, social and labour rights, and the future of the region.
15:30–16:00
Closing
All times are local to Sarajevo. Open a session for its description and available speaker biography.
03 / Plan your visit
See you
in Sarajevo.
Two days, in person. Here are the essentials.
Questions? Contact FES- Dates
- 22–23 October 2026
- Location
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Exact venue to be announced.
- Language
- English Interpretation into Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Serbian (BCMS) available.
- Attendance
- In-person conference Select one or both days on the FES registration form.
The series continues
04 / Previously in the series
Vienna → Sarajevo
Vienna · 18–19 June 2026
Power & Participation
The Vienna programme focused on young workers, strong institutions and digital rights, with workshops on the Austrian model, organising, and the future labour market.
Sarajevo continues the conversation, bringing migration, technology and the future of work in the Balkans into focus.
Discover the next chapter05 / Join the conversation
Help shape
what comes next.
Sarajevo · 22–23 October 2026
Register for Sarajevo
Registration is hosted by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. You will continue to the FES website to enter your details and select your attendance days.