Together with 14 industry and research partners, the Institute for Social Research and Social Economy (iso) in Saarbrücken has founded a centre of excellence for labour research. The centre of excellence is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with 10 million euros and is to shape the transformation in key sectors of the economy in the Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate. The aim is to promote sustainable working in the automotive and medical technology sectors. The iso-Institute will develop health-promoting strategies for the transformation in companies and test them with the practical partners.

In their everyday work, health care professionals increasingly have to deal with people who, due to illness, are no longer able to articulate themselves well in spoken language. For professionals, communication with these people is not always easy; it takes a lot of time and can lead to misunderstandings. Within the framework of the project ProDigA - Digitally Supported Interaction Work the iso-Institut has now developed a Information brochure for professionals and managers in the health care sector. It is intended to raise awareness of communication barriers as well as provide tips for "good" interaction and therefore contribute not only to patient welfare but also to relieving the workload of staff. The project is supported by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)) funded.

The Institute for Social Research and Social Economy (iso) in Saarbrücken received Dr Magnus Jung, Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, Women and Health (MASFG) in its premises on Monday 5 December. In a joint exchange of ideas, many intersections between the research topics of the iso-Institute and the work areas of the MASFG were identified.