Prof. Dr. Matthias Schmidt, project manager of the PAL research project (PerspektiveArbeit Lausitz), and David Sauer, project team member of the PAL project, together with Julia Zähr from Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, also a project team member of the PAL project, have published an article in the renowned Zeitschrift für wirtschaftlichen Fabrikbetrieb (Journal of Economic Factory Operation) on the requirements for employees working with programmable welding robots.

The publication develops a role-based competency model for the changed qualification requirements resulting from the use of programmable welding robots in small-batch production. The article highlights in particular the shift from sensory-motor to cognitive and communicative skills, as well as didactic principles for further training in small and medium-sized enterprises.

The PAL project aims to examine the working world in regions undergoing structural change in a practical manner and to identify sustainable strategies for skills development. The publication brings key findings from this research into the professional discussion and contributes to the design of qualification processes in the course of the digital transformation of production.

The work is available through De Gruyter Brill and is aimed at professionals and researchers in the fields of ergonomics, production engineering, and corporate continuing education management. It offers valuable insights for companies that are planning or already implementing the use of robotics in small-batch production.