IE University researcher Michael Becher awarded ERC Consolidator Grant for work on automation and workplace impact

Michael Becher, researcher at the IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs at IE University, has been awarded a European Research Council Consolidator Grant for his project on the political and social implications of technological change. The ERC selected 349 researchers from 25 countries for this competitive call, which forms part of the Horizon Europe programme and stands among Europe’s most important funding schemes for advancing high-impact scientific research. This year’s edition allocates 728 million euro to support pioneering projects, reinforcing Europe’s leading position in research and innovation globally.

President of the European Research Council, Maria Leptin, highlighted that "this bold research may well lead to new industries, improve lives and strengthen Europe’s global standing. This was one of the most competitive ERC calls ever, with record demand and also many excellent projects left unfunded. It is yet another reminder of how urgent the call for increased EU investment in frontier research has become."

Becher’s project, "Automation and Worker (Dis)Empowerment: Mobilization, Bargaining, and Political Competition in Times of Technological Change", examines how technological advances reshape the power of workers in both the workplace and democratic politics. His research develops a new political economy framework that explains when automation empowers workers and when it weakens their influence. The project combines theoretical innovation with experimental and observational evidence gathered in advanced knowledge economies in Europe, Asia and North America.

Professor Michael Becher mentioned that the consequences of technological change for shared prosperity and democracy "are not written in stone". "But to understand them, we must pay more attention to worker power. The project develops theoretical and empirical tools to identify conditions under which the ongoing wave of automation can empower workers and thereby revitalize democracy," Becher explained.

World-class research

Juan Santaló, Vice Rector of Faculty and Research at IE University, emphasized that "the ERC award is a testament to IE University’s commitment not only to producing world-class research, but also to advancing knowledge that drives positive change in society." He added that "this project exemplifies how rigorous scholarship can illuminate the challenges and opportunities of technological transformation, and ultimately help us build more inclusive and resilient democratic institutions."

In parallel, Marco Giarratana, Vice Rector of Scientific Knowledge and Impact at IE University, remarked: "With this project, IE University consolidates its standing as an international reference in cutting-edge political science research, demonstrating the ability of our faculty to shape global debates." Giarratana noted that "the success of this work places IE University among the leading institutions investigating the political consequences of automation, highlighting the competitiveness of our scholars and our contribution to understanding how technological transformation reshapes democracy and worker rights. This ERC award deepens our institutional commitment to generating rigorous research that informs public debate and societal well-being."