The EESC highlights the important role of innovation as a factor of competitiveness for the growth of companies and can also improve living standards and the quality of work. ITC affects working conditions and challenges company structure, methods of management and labour relations.

Innovation culture in companies must meet some challenges: 

• There is an urgent need to adapt company structures and working methods to the digital economy.
• Digitalisation has a profound impact both on existing organisations and on emerging new ones in terms of how company activities and work will be organised.
• Knowledge work is becoming mainstream at the workplace. Skills-based work is developing while polarisation between high-skilled and low-skilled workers.
• The trend towards more autonomy that digitalisation offers represents a challenge for businesses, their constituent bodies and their governance, as well as for management methods and businesses' traditional hierarchies.

The EESC emphasizes on the importance of social dialogue at the workplace as the key part in the changing world of work. Social dialogue must play a leading role to develop a culture of trust in order to raise the level of innovation that benefits everyone.