The rapid development of digital technologies is changing the way people work across professions and generations. The international research network DIGI-net, led by Mendel University in Brno, focuses on how these changes affect older employees and what new opportunities and inequalities they bring to the European labor market.
The research team focuses on how digitization, automation, and the development of artificial intelligence affect the working conditions of employees over the age of 50 and what their position is in the labor market. For example, it examines inequalities between younger and older workers, organizational culture in relation to age, and the relationship between the digitization of work and health. It also focuses on developing and implementing practical measures to address digitalization, and analyzes social media, corporate communications, and news media that reflect, reinforce, or spread stereotypes about older workers in the age of digitalization.
“The goal of the project is to show that older employees are not an obstacle to digital transformation, but rather an important part of it. Digitalization can make people’s work easier, more efficient, and open up new opportunities for them, but only if it is implemented sensitively, taking into account diverse life and work experiences. If organizations underestimate the importance of training, support, and intergenerational collaboration, new technologies may, on the contrary, exacerbate stress, uncertainty, and inequalities in the labor market,” said Martina Rašticová, project coordinator and vice rector for internationalization at MENDELU.
One of the project’s main findings is that older employees do not form a homogeneous group. Their experiences with technology vary depending on their profession, education, health status, previous career path, and the level of support provided by their employer. The research also shows that the problem is often not age itself, but rather the way in which technology is introduced in the workplace. If employees do not have enough time, training, and space to adapt, digitization can increase technostress, feelings of insecurity, and fears of losing their skills.
According to the researchers, it is therefore crucial that companies and public institutions approach digitization as a social and organizational change, not merely as a technical process. Recommended steps include accessible and practical training, involving employees in the implementation of new technologies, supporting intergenerational knowledge sharing, age-inclusive HR policies, and sensitive communication that does not reinforce the stereotype that older people are unable to adapt to digital changes.
At MENDELU, the project focused primarily on coordinating the entire international network, preparing research and outreach outputs, organizing professional meetings, and linking academic research with practice and public policy. Among other topics, researchers addressed technostress, ageism in the workplace, stereotypes in hiring, the impact of digitalization on the employability of people over 50, and ways to create a more inclusive work environment. The project focused on broader European comparisons and the sharing of insights among research teams from different countries.
Mendel University has been coordinating the project since its launch in 2022 as part of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology program, known as COST. During its operation, the research network has connected universities and research teams from thirty-nine European countries. Over the course of four years, the network has produced scholarly publications, analyses, policy briefs, a web platform focused on the issues of aging and work in the digital age, as well as popular science podcasts that make the topic accessible to the general public.
Participants presented the results of the four-year collaboration during the closing international conference, the DIGI-net Final Conference 2026, which Mendel University hosted in June. The conference brought together research teams, experts from the field, and public policymakers addressing the relationship between digitalization, an aging population, and changes in the labor market. Over the course of three days, it provided a forum for sharing the latest research findings and discussing how to create a more equitable and inclusive work environment in an era of rapid technological advancement.